Ghana: Gas Shortage Looms As Tanker Drivers Strike

Members of the Gas Tanker Drivers Association in the Republic of Ghana, West Africa, have parked their Bulk Road Vehicles (BRVs) over myriads of challenges with key among them being the ban on newly built LPG stations by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

They further lamented on poor salaries, harassment and extortion by the police in Central and Western Regions, piloting of cylinder recirculation model policy and embargo on the opening of new LPG stations.

Addressing a press conference in Tema on Wednesday, the drivers noted that the NPA’s decision to ban newly constructed stations from operating has halted the wider penetration of LPG in the country.

“The embargo is also restricting job opportunities for us as drivers of LPG tankers. This is because the availability of stations to receive LPG products increases our employability and working times,” they said.

According the drivers, the development has put undue pressure and negatively impacting on their working conditions.

“We call on the NPA to lift the embargo immediately and process all such other station application for operation,” they said.

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Speaking to energynewsafrica.com after the press conference, Moses Kwaku Otoo, who is the Industrial Relations Officer for the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU), said the drivers would not resume operation until their grievances were addressed.

He said it was about time NPA acted right by making sure that undue pressure on stakeholders in the downstream sector were lessened.

He said the drivers had written letters to the various stakeholders but all to no available.

In an interview with energynewsafrica.com, Chairman of the Gas Tanker Drivers Association, Shafiu Mohammed said the over 1,000 tanker drivers would not move their BRVs until NPA saw the need to address their grievances.

Meanwhile, National Vice Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Union of TUC, Alabi Sunday, who was at the press conference, said the national union is solidly behind the members.

He said if by Monday they do not see any action by the NPA to address the issue, they would have no other option than to declare a strike in solidarity with the aggrieved members.

Source:www.energynewsafrica.com