Gas shortage to ease as transporters call off strike

The volume of gas at the supply pumps is expected to meet demand in the coming days as the Gas Tanker Drivers Union resume their services.

The drivers suspended transportation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) on October 29, 2020, which disrupted supply to several areas in the country.

The drivers had accused the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) of being behind harassments by the police during supply trips across the country.

Additionally, they said the NPA had refused several requests to expand the number of gas stations.

The tankers numbering over 1,000 also had concerns over poor remuneration.

Many areas in the Greater Accra, Western and Central regions reported shortages with consumers unable to purchase gas as the Bulk Road Vehicles (BRVs) remained parked.

However, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations said in a statement on Sunday that they tanker drivers had rescinded their decision.

This was after a meeting under the directive of the minister, Ignatius Baffour Awuah. The Ghana Transport Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union (GTPCWU), the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union (GNPTDU), Liquified Petroleum Gas Marketing Companies (LPGMC), Ghana LPG Operators Association (GLiPGOA) and Oil Marketing Companies of Liquified Petroleum Gas (OMCLPG) were present to resolve the issue.

“The Ministry assures the general public that the drivers have resumed duty with immediate effect as the government takes steps to resolve the matter with all the urgency that it deserves,” parts of the release said.

This is not the first time in 2020 that tanker drivers have resorted to strikes to have their problems resolved.

In September, tanker drivers operating at the Buipe depot in the Savannah Region declared an indefinite strike over the refusal of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport (BOST) management to fix malfunctioning loading metres at the depot.