Government’s unfulfilled promise of using parts of the $3 billion Chinese loan to revamp the railway sector in the country has courted some members of the Ghana Railway Workers Union of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to accused the government of being insensitive to their plight.
The workers who made known their grievances during the May Day celebration in the Western region wondered where the money had gone with the display of quizzing placards.
“We are asking this because we don’t see the kind of development that was promised in the sector. So where is the Chinese loan for railway development?” One of them quizzed.
The workers voice out their grievances to the Western Regional Minister, Paul Evans Aidoo and Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the General Secretary of the NDC, as well as other officials who sat on the dais during the celebration of the workers’ day – which is internationally acclaimed.
Scores of the workers on reaching the dais, decided to stop for a while to tell the Minister their peace of mind, but they were immediately escorted from the area by some police personnel on duty.
Speaking to DAILY GUIDE in separate interviews, some of the workers indicated that the May Day celebration presented the opportunity for them to make known to President Mahama some of their concerns.
They carried placards some of which read, “Revamping of Railways Will Create Employment,” “Mr. President, Where Is the Chinese Loan for Railway Development?” “The Revamping of The Western Rail Lines Can No Longer Wait”, “Taxes Are Too Much for Workers to Bear” “Where Is Our Oil Money”, and “Days of Promises Are Over”.
According to them, workers in Ghana were tired of the many unfulfilled promises the government continued to make to them.
This year’s National May Day celebration was themed, “Ghana’s Economy: A Concern for all”.
The participating groups were the Maritime and Dock Workers Union, Ghana National Association of Teachers, Teachers and Educational Workers Union of Ghana, among others.
In a related development, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC who joined the workers in the Western Region to celebrate the day, stole the show when he openly ate bread on the dais while the various workers’ unions were marching past the dais.
The bread was given to the NDC chief scribe by workers of Takoradi Flour Mills when they reached the place.
Asiedu Nketia, also known as General Mosquito, upon receiving the bread, hurriedly removed the plastic wrapper, broke part of the bread and started eating it while taking part in the official function, to the amazement of some of the spectators.
The Regional Minister, Paul Evans Aidoo and the Regional Secretary of the TUC, Ellis Ankomah, read the speeches of President Mahama and the Secretary-General of the TUC respectively.
