Oil Marketing Companies urge swift resolution to Tanker Drivers’ remuneration standoff
The Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC) has raised significant concerns regarding the ongoing strike by the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union (GNPTDU) over proposed changes to driver and mate remuneration.
The AOMC has cautioned that the strike could precipitate a severe fuel crisis if not promptly resolved, emphasizing the indispensable role of tanker drivers in the petroleum supply chain.
Despite persistent efforts to engage with GNPTDU leadership, including seeking the intervention of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), these attempts have been unsuccessful, according to a statement signed by Dr. Riverson Oppong, Chief Executive of the AOMC.
“Repeated efforts by the AOMC to engage with the leadership of GNPTDU to address their concerns have unfortunately been unsuccessful. The extensive efforts made to amicably address the issues, including seeking the intervention of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) have been unsuccessful”, he remarked in a statement.
The AOMC has underscored that its members, who operate around 50% of the nation’s tanker fleet, are highly dependent on the drivers. The unresolved remuneration issue could disproportionately impact these members and potentially compel them to defect from the Drivers Union.
The AOMC clarified that the responsibility for determining and paying employee remuneration lies with the respective Tanker Owners, not the National Petroleum Authority (NPA). The NPA’s role is primarily regulatory, focusing on compliance with industry standards and regulations. As such, the NPA does not possess the legal or administrative capacity to assume the role of employer in remuneration matters.
“Therefore, if the remuneration issue remains unresolved, a strike action could disproportionally impact our members who own and operate about 50% of the country’s tankers. The scenario could compel them to defect from the Drivers Union altogether.
“The AOMC would like to clarify that the responsibility for determining and paying employee remuneration lies with the employer being the respective Tanker Owners and not the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) as the proposed framework seeks to do. It is purely an employer/employee relation guided by the labour laws of Ghana”, read the statement.
In seeking a resolution, the AOMC has requested the tanker drivers’ union to provide names of employers not meeting their compensation obligations. The association has stressed the importance of verifying specific instances of unpaid drivers and encouraged the GNPTDU to share relevant information to facilitate the resolution of these issues.
