Operations at Ghana’s ports could grind to a halt this Tuesday, April 14, as the Joint Association of Port Transport Drivers (JAPTU) prepares for a massive sit-down strike.
The union, representing over 11,000 drivers, is protesting a new regulatory regime introduced by the Ghana Shippers Authority, claiming the policies impose crippling fees and disregard established operational structures.
Unless the government intervenes by April 14, the drivers have vowed to withdraw their services until April 17.
The escalating tension follows claims that the Shippers Authority’s new directives contradict long-standing protocols that have governed port logistics for years.
National Chairman Shamsu Babayaro made the union’s stance clear on Saturday, April 11, describing the new requirements from both the Shippers Council and the Ministry of Roads as fundamentally flawed.
“Right now, from the 14th of this month, we are going to do a sit-down strike up to the 17th. But in case the government comes, and they explain things to us, and there is an understanding in the work, we can withdraw the sit-down strike,” Mr Babayaro told Adom News.
The Chairman was particularly blunt regarding the financial and administrative demands being placed on his members.
“The charges they are saying we should pay, we won’t pay. The information the Shippers Council is giving us, we didn’t agree to. We don’t understand, and we won’t agree. We are telling them, we won’t agree,” he added.
Rank-and-file members of the union are echoing the leadership’s frustration, citing an unsustainable increase in operational burdens. Central to the dispute is a mandatory re-registration exercise, which drivers believe is redundant and punitive.
Drivers argue that the Ghana Shippers Authority must return to the negotiating table to reconsider the implementation of these policies, which they claim threaten their very livelihoods.
A four-day strike by JAPTU would lead to significant congestion at the port enclave, delaying the movement of essential goods and racking up costs for importers and exporters.
The union has left the door open for dialogue, but only if the government moves swiftly to “call the Ghana Shippers Authority to order”.
As the clock ticks toward the April 14 deadline, the shipping community remains on edge, waiting to see if the Ministry of Transport or the Presidency will step in to avert a total logistical freeze.
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