The Ghana Toll Workers Union has publicly criticized the government for failing to deliver on promises made after the cessation of toll collection in 2021.
In a statement released on the third anniversary of the policy change, the Union described the period as full of severe hardship for the 800 workers left unemployed.
The removal of toll collection, announced as part of the 2022 Budget, abruptly ended the jobs of toll workers nationwide.
At the time, the government pledged to reassign the affected workers to alternative roles and provide monthly allowances until such reassignments were completed.
However, the Union claims these commitments have gone unfulfilled, leaving workers struggling to make ends meet.
Union leaders, Edward Duncan and Henry Dogbe, in a press release emphasized the impact of unemployment on former toll workers and their families.
They accused the government of exacerbating the country’s unemployment crisis and failing to prioritize the needs of ordinary Ghanaians.
“The promises of job reassignment and allowances have been empty words. It’s been three long years of disappointment, pain, and suffering,” their statement read.
The Union also raised concerns about the government’s plans to automate toll collection, which they fear could permanently exclude workers from employment in the sector.
The Union criticized the government’s approach to automation, pointing out that even countries with lower unemployment rates are debating how to balance technological advances with job protection.
“In the Western world, where unemployment is low, they are finding ways to ensure that AI and automation do not push people out of the job market. Here in Ghana, where unemployment is high, the government seems determined to make the situation worse,” the statement added.
While one political party has proposed fully automated toll collection, the Union said the opposition has suggested a hybrid model that would retain human involvement, creating opportunities for employment alongside automation.
As Ghana heads into an election year, the Union reminded the government of its obligation to protect its citizens’ livelihoods. They stressed that the cost of widespread unemployment is more damaging to the economy than any financial burden associated with maintaining jobs.
“This is an election year, and we urge the government to remember that one good turn deserves another. But for us toll workers, it has been one bad turn after another,” the statement concluded.
Union leaders called on the government to urgently address their grievances, warning that the issue could become a flashpoint in the upcoming elections.
