What started as a sit down strike in Kumasi last Thursday by workers of the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) has culminated into a nationwide strike, leaving commuters stranded at the various terminals across the country.
Workers of the state owned public transport are demanding salary arrears and overnight allowances spanning several months.
Mr. John Osei, the Union chairman of the MMT Junior staff has indicated that they would not resume work until they have been paid every pesewa of their salaries in arrears, in order to alleviate their hardships and meet family commitments.
They workers are citing mismanagement of the Internally Generated Fund, resulting in the breakdown of the buses which reduce in number by the day.
The workers, mainly drivers and mechanics, are attributing the near collapse of the company to the Managing Director, Albert Adu Boahene and the Board of Directors of the company.
In Kumasi, the MMT bus terminal, one of the busiest in the country and the pivot around which MMT operations revolve, which started operations with 105 buses, now has less than 50 buses, as the buses are grounded from minor faults like replacement of tyres, fan belts, brake bands and driving mirrors, which could be fixed from the Internally Generated Fund (IGF).
Unfortunately, the IGF are paid to headquarters which advises on disbursement in the regions, thus rendering the MMT workshop ill equipped to service and fix minor faults on buses for lack of logistics locally.
As a result, the workers calling for a probe of the appropriation of c44 billion (old currency) raised from the hiring of MMT buses to churches, schools and organisations from 2014 to 2017, under the former Depot Manager, one Mr. Abukari.
They also questioned the rationale behind management entrusting the Parcels and Luggages unit at the Kumasi terminal to a private company at a commission, just as the public place of convenience on the premises has been awarded on BOT basis.
The workers have, therefore, appealed to the government and the sector minister to come to the aid of Kumasi Metro Mass Transit to save it from collapse.
Mr. Thomas Ekow Sackey, the Traffic Supervisor of MMT, stressed that MMT would need a dedicated and experienced person to be viable like the State Transport Corporation.
According to him, most of the buses are not durable and are sub-standard in quality, recommending that the Daewood brands were reliable.
He called for the replacement of the Managing Director and a reconstituted Board of Directors to effect new directions and effective management of MMT.
According to him, the Kumasi terminal would have long collapsed, but for the Depot Manager, Nicholas Oduro, who he said needed to be supported to turn the fortunes of MMT around.
Attempts to reach the Head of Communications of Metro Mass Transit (MMT), Mr. George Krobea Asante, failed as his phone could not be reached.
However, responding to the situation in October last year, Krobea Asante said most of the MMT buses are old but assured that the Government, Board of Directors, Ministry of Transport and management were working assiduously to revamp MMT for effective operations, but nothing has changed yet.
According to Krobea Asante, over 50 brand new air-conditioned buses purchased by the government, through the Ministry of Finance and Transport in August/September, 2018, had been commissioned and that plans are far advance to take delivery of a further 50 buses.
He hinted that “Management under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) is also expected to deliver 200 brand new buses early 2020” to rejuvenate the operations of Metro Mass Transit.
He said most of the existing and traditional buses could be withdrawn from the various intercity routes to the rural-urban routes.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Mrs. Elizabeth Agyeman last Thursday assured the workers that she would convey their grievances to the government for prompt attention, when she met with the management and workers at the Kumasi terminal.
The post MMT Workers Embark On Strike Action …Over non-payment of salaries, mismanagement appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS