Metro Mass Transit, GPRTU on a sit-down strike

The Western Regional Branch of the Metro Mass Transit and GPRTU have embarked on a sit-down strike to protest the decision of city authorities to allow a private transport operator to work from their premises.

Bimbisala Co-operative/Jeouna Transport have been operating in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality for some time and serving the transportation needs of both passengers and traders for long distance journeys.

The transport operators say the decision to move the private operators from the current base to the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan area would not only worry commuters in the municipality but also creates congestion at the terminal in STMA.

Meanwhile, concerns raised by the leadership of the two transport bodies have not yielded any fruitful outcome.
The two associations, therefore, embarked on a sit-down strike to send a warning signal to city authorities.
Mr Joseph Simmons Cudjoe, Western Regional GPRTU chairman, said he could not understand why an individual should be allowed to become a thorn in activities of the Union and the state managed Metro Mass Transit.

Mr David Teye Tekutey, the Metro Mass Transport Limited Western Regional Manager, called on the Police and the Special Prosecutor to investigate the stringent position of city authorities to move that operator from EKMA to STMA.

Meanwhile, at about 0930 hours, the STMA Mayor, Mr Abdul Mumin Issah, in the company of Regional Police Command, engaged the affected and placed a directive for the area to be closed pending further deliberations and action.