Staff of Metro Mass Transport Limited (MMT), a government-run transportation company, have suspended their indefinite strike across the country.
Workers suspended the day-old action Monday afternoon after a meeting with Transport Minister Dzifa Attivor and Manager Director of MMT Noble Appiah.
Government has however been given two weeks and two days, to get their grievances resolved else they will resume the strike exercise.
Millions of MMT patrons across the country were stranded with students and traders being the hardest hit on Monday when the strike began. Some commuters were forced to pay extra to get to their destinations since MMT fares are comparatively cheaper than other transport operators.
The MMT workers are demanding that an investigation is commissioned into the activities of the company’s board chairman Osabarima Ansah Sasraku III and the Deputy Managing Director, John Awuku Dzuazah. Some staff are even insisting on outright dismissal of the two.
The board chairman and deputy Managing Director are being accused of among others playing a part in the disappearance of several MMT buses.
Osabarima Ansah Sasraku III has also been cited by the workers of being involved in a conflict of interest.
According to the workers, the board chairman has been supervising the award of contracts to his own company during tenders.
But he denied allegations that Capricon Company Limited – which belongs to him – supplied some equipment to the MMT and that the only time, he was asked to supply to the company, was in 2011, but he could not supply the equipment because he did not have enough funds.
Meanwhile, Minister of Transport Dzifa Ativor, who received a petition from the striking workers on Monday, assured that their concerns would be addressed as soon as possible.
She said the board has been directed to meet on Wednesday, finalised the various reports on the operations of the company and get back to her “latest by Friday”.
But the workers insisted that members of the Board, as well as management, being investigated should be made to step aside.
Emotional Managing Director, Mr. Noble Appiah who has been accused by the board chairman of overstepping his powers in awarding contracts made a passionate appeal to the workers to resume work while their grievances are being addressed.
Source: Joy Online
