The Gas Tanker Drivers Association has declared a sit-down strike beginning today, Friday, March 4, 2022, for its members who cart LPG products across the country.
The industrial action, according to the Association, has been necessitated following the ban on new LPG retail points to allow for proper assessment of all LPG outlets nationwide five years ago.
This situation, the association says, has affected their remuneration and other conditions of service.
Addressing the media, Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association, George Nyaunu said the strike will be in force until government addresses their concerns.
“It is very painful that LPG owners borrow from banks and other places to run a business like that for NPA to put an embargo on it for about five years. So, clearly, it’s not the best. It is not creating jobs for the youth. So we are pleading with authorities. They should just lift the ban on the gas filling stations so that, at least, they will also be in business.”
The strike is also coming at a time, the LPG Marketers Association of Ghana is calling on the government to scrap taxes imposed on the product in order to ease the pressure on consumers.
It follows the recent 6% increase in the prices of the product.
The government, after the Atomic Gas explosion in 2017, placed a ban on new LPG retail points to allow for proper assessment of all LPG outlets nationwide.
Although LPG marketers have petitioned the government and the National Petroleum Authority over the years to lift the ban, nothing has been done about it.
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, shortly after the Atomic Junction Gas explosion in 2017, directed the implementation of the Cylinder Recirculation Module.
This meant that gas cylinders will no longer be filled up at gas retail outlets, but cylinders would be bought from distributors already filled when they go empty.
Apart from concerns over the loss of jobs, the Ghana LPG Operators Association has constantly complained that proper stakeholder consultations were not carried out as they were not engaged on the policy.
CRM to provide jobs
Meanwhile, in response to the concerns of the gas operators, the National Petroleum Authority has said the Cylinder Recirculation Model would create at least 4500 jobs across the country.
According to the then Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Hassan Tampuli the module when fully introduced would create jobs for distributors and retailers at the various bottling plants.
Two companies, so far have been given licenses to establish and operate LPG bottling plants in different parts of the country although over 20 companies have applied for the licenses.