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Work on the 209 km North-Eastern corridor asphalt-pave in the northern region to enhance transportation of goods and services have stalled following indefinite strike declared by the workers over salray increement.The workers took management by suprise when they declared an indefinete sit-down strike beginning Wednesday September 2,2015 to press home their demands.
The dual-carriage road project estimated to cost 290.64 million US dollars financed by the Brazilian Development Bank, which will take83.33% of the entire cost with the rest being Government of Ghana counterpart funding.
It will also link the Northern and the Upper East regions to Ghana's landlocked neighbours — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The route is conceived as a north-south trade corridor which provides a shorter access to the Tema Port.
The road when completed will foster and facilitate integration within the West Africa sub-region. But the workers accused management of the two Brazilian construction companies, AGANDRADE and Gutierrez Odebrecht working on LOT 6, of unfair treatment. The two construction companies are working from Damankun in the Nanumba North district to Gbuntiri in the Gushegu district stretch.
The asphalted dual carriageway will be connected to major towns such as Oti-Damanko, Bimbilla, Yendi, Sakpiegu, Gushiegu and Nakpanduri.
The aggrieved workers told Zaa News that they will not go back to work unless their salary discrepancies issues are addressed. The workers could not understand why a foreman whose work according to them was to follow them and earns over 4 thousand Ghana cedis including their rent and food allowance while masons and labourers take less than one thousand Ghana cedis plus their rent and food allowances.
One of the aggrieved workers, Mohammed A. Ganiyu said the Brazilians also refused to increase their daily minimum wages as announced by government last year which took effect January this year.
After persistent pressure by the workers, the eastern corridor construction companies increase their monthly earnings by 18%. The workers on 31st August held a meeting with management regarding salary increment and finally agreed that 18 percent of the increment will reflect in their salaries which didn’t happen.
Meanwhile, Zaa News has learnt that, management of the two Brazilian construction companies on the eastern corridor road are currently locked up in a meeting with executives of the workers’ union.
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