Thousands of travellers nationwide have been left stranded and thinking through their options as a strike by a government-run transport company MMT, begins to hit hard.

The main station at Accra has been deserted as frustrated commuters dragged themselves over to private transport operators. They have been fuming over the extra cost that comes with private operators.

The disappearance of 12 Metro Mass buses sparked the workers to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike Monday morning. They are aiming to get Deputy Managing Director and the Board Chair of the company dismissed.

The workers say John Awuku Dzuazah, and Osabarima Ansah Sasraku III, Board Chair, have played various roles in the recent disappearance of the popular buses.

Nhyira FM's Ohemeng Tawiah, whose investigations led to the discovery of some of the buses spoke to the workers, who believed that the continued stay of the two top officials is likely to collapse the company.

Ohemeng reported Monday morning that passengers at the Kumasi terminal of the Metro Mass Transit Ltd have been left stranded.

One passenger said she has been at the terminal since 1:30am but no buses have been working.

The aggrieved workers have blocked the entrance of the Kumasi terminal, preventing buses from going out.

Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of the Metro Mass Transit, Delali Kuma, said although the inconvenience caused to passengers is unfortunate, the move is a "bitter pill" that must be swallowed.

"We are not doing this because we are insensitive to the passengers", he added. But his position is not likely to calm down disoriented travelers.

"They have to consider us. We are all human beings", one commuter told Joy News.

In the Volta regional transport yard, many still harbor the hope that the strike will be called off and buses made available. Joy News correspondent Hubert Mawuli Yevu-Agbi reports that commuters to Kumasi, Sunyani and Kajebi have had to shelve their travel plans.

The nationwide strike clashes with re-opening day for most Senior High Schools. Dressed in uniforms and surrounded by their chop boxes, some students are stuck in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital.

Many market women find using the Metro Mass cheaper. Their frustration is louder because it will mean lower profits and possibly an inching up in a the price of their goods.

 

Below is the workers' resolution to the sector Minister, Dzifa Attivor:

SENIOR & JUNIOR STAFF UNION METRO MASS TRANSIT LIMITED 
The Honorable Minister Ministry of Transport Accra 
Dear Sir, 
RESOLUTION  
January 9, 2015 

At an emergency joint Divisional Union of both MMT Senior and Junior Staff Union meeting held at the UNICOF Conference room at the Hall of TUC (Ghana) on Friday, 9`h January 2015, delegates after extensive discussions on the recent developments of the company adopted and passed the following resolution for the attention of the Honorable Minister of Transport. 

We resolve that: 
1. The procurement of spare parts from VDL Holland should be restored to ensure the availability of genuine spare parts.
 
2. The Divisional Union does not have confidence in the Board Chairman and ask for his removal from office. This is due to the fact that there is a conflict of interest situation in the company where he doubled up as the Board Chairman and the Chairman of the Entity Tender Committee and had been a supplier to the company. Honorable Minister, please evidence of this can be traced out on records of the company. 

3. The Divisional Union can no longer work with the Deputy Managing Director with the reasons being that: a) He directed that buses earmarked for scrapping be towed out in whole from the Kumasi MMT yard contrary to the company's policy directive which states that boarded/auctioned MMT buses should be cut into pieces before leaving the premises of the company after being sold. Some of these buses have already been repaired and are on the road working. b) Buses, which were not meant for scrapping were swapped with buses earmarked for scrapping on his directive. 

He directed that repair cost of buses be inflated for it to look unattractive for repairs hence result in scrapping. This goes further to buttress his earlier involvement in the towing of buses as contained in (a) above. Please Honorable Minister, a committee was formed and tasked to investigate the foregoing and a report is available to testify. The major suppliers of the company should be paid on time to enable them pply relevant items needed for the operations of the company. 

Signed for and on behalf of the Unionized workers of MMT Limited; 
The attached is the list and signatories of participants who adopted the honorable Minister Employment and Labor Relations Board Chairman, MMT Limited 
Managing Director, MMT Limited
Secretary General, TUC (Ghana), Accra 
General Secretary, (GTPCWU) 
Regional Officers, GTPCWU (Takoradi, Kumasi) Branch 
Union Secretaries, MMT Limited.