Ghana railway workers demand payment of 11-month salary arrears 

The Railway Workers Union of Ghana has called on the government and the management of the Railway Company Limited (GRCL) to immediately settle the 11 months’ salary arrears owed workers. 

The Union warns that failure to do so by May 31, 2026, would compel the Union to resort to lawful industrial action. 

It said the unpaid salaries, covering June 2025 to April 2026, constituted a violation of workers’ rights under the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), and had subjected workers and their families to severe economic hardship. 

A press statement signed by Mr Benjamin Essuman, General Secretary of the Union, copied to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday, in Accra, acknowledged the payment of eight months’ arrears covering October 2024 to May 2025. 

It, however, noted that the delays in salary payments amounted to unlawful withholding of earned wages and a breach of fundamental conditions of employment. 

The statement said the Union expected all outstanding arrears, including gross salary components, to be paid in line with assurances given by the Minister of Transport on April 24, 2026, at Kojokrom. 

It warned that failure to honour the commitment would leave the Union with no option but to invoke all lawful remedies, including industrial action and referral to the National Labour Commission. 

The Union called on the government to prioritise strategic investment in the Western Railway Line, describing it as a critical national asset essential to economic productivity and efficient transportation. 

It said the neglect of railway infrastructure had increased pressure on the country’s road network through the transportation of bulky goods contributed to recurring road congestion and accidents. 

According to the Union, sustained underinvestment in the railway sector was inconsistent with sound public administration and national development planning. 

The statement further expressed concern over what it described as uncertainty surrounding the future of GRCL workers, following discussions on possible redundancy and downsizing of staff strength from 839 workers to between 160 and 200 workers. 

It said the absence of a clear policy direction since October 2025 had created anxiety among workers and raised concerns over transparency, accountability and due process in labour administration. 

It, therefore, demanded that the Ministry of Transport, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Transport and other relevant state agencies issued a clear and time-bound policy directive by June 30, 2026, outlining the status of all GRCL workers, redundancy or severance arrangements and long-term sustainability plans for the railway sector. 

The statement acknowledged the deployment of 40 workers to operate the Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) service on the Kojokrom-Sekondi-Takoradi route, but said the move did not constitute a comprehensive workforce policy. 

The Union also called for urgent government intervention to resolve operational and administrative conflicts between the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) and GRCL, saying the disagreements were undermining efficiency and threatening workers’ job security. 

Additionally, the Union demanded investigations into alleged payments made by some companies to GRCL management for workers’ salaries as of August 2024, the reported removal of railway lines at Ofanko-Achimota and Nsawam, auction sales in the Sekondi-Takoradi-Tarkwa corridor, and the reported procurement of wooden sleepers and ballast valued at GH¢40 million. 

It called on the Minister of Transport to ensure full disclosure, commission an independent investigation and make the findings public. 

The Union further appealed to the Presidency to intervene and restore accountability within the railway sector. 

As part of its consolidated demands, the Union called for the immediate payment of all salary arrears before the end of May 2026, a structured policy on the future of GRCL workers by June 15, 2026, and government action to merge GRCL and the Ghana Railway Development Authority while reviewing the Railway Act, Act 779. 

The statement said a merger of the two institutions would improve coordination, eliminate administrative conflicts and enhance operational efficiency, citing countries such as Kenya and Tanzania as examples of nations operating unified railway systems successfully. 

The Union reiterated its commitment to constructive engagement but stressed that it would not remain silent while workers suffered and the railway sector deteriorated. 

Source: GNA 

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