The Railway Workers Union has praised the Mahama administration for settling 20 months of salary arrears owed its workers, while appealing for the completion of outstanding severance negotiations and the Nsuta railway line project.
Speaking to the media, a representative of the Union, Benjamin Essuman, said the arrears, covering October 2024 to May 2026, were fully settled on August 24, 2026.
The representative said the government initially paid eight months of the arrears before settling the remaining 12 months.
“We are grateful and we are grateful to the vice president, the chief of staff, the national chairman for NDC, the finance minister, the labour commission, the CEO of Ghana Railway Development Authority, the minister of transport, chief director of transport, the deputy minister of transport, the faithful of Askado,” the representative said.
The Union acknowledged the challenges facing Ghana’s railway sector, noting that only about 135 kilometres of railway lines are currently operational nationwide.
“It is not easy for our father, our poppy, the president, to accept and act on our requests within a short possible time. We thank him and we show our great gratitude to him and all stakeholders who helped us get this far.”
Despite the settlement, the Union is asking Mahama to expedite negotiations on a Memorandum of Understanding covering severance arrangements and payments to affected workers.
“Concerning the MOU that we signed with the government, the severance negotiation and payment, so we are pleading to his excellency that as soon as possible he should help us finish this negotiation and then the payment will follow as fast as possible for us,” the representative said.
The Union also appealed for the completion of the 20-kilometre Nsuta railway line, describing the route as a major source of internally generated revenue for the railway sector.
“And the second thing is the Inzita line, it’s 20 kilometers to Inzita and this is the major internal revenue generated site for the railway sector,” the representative said.
The Union said completing the project would help create employment and ease pressure on the sector.
The settlement of the arrears comes against the backdrop of prolonged financial challenges within Ghana’s railway sector, which has affected workers and limited railway operations across the country.
The Union expressed optimism that its remaining concerns would also be addressed, saying, “If the president has done this for us, we know before December we will hear good news from the president.”
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
