The Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC) has announced plans to convene a crucial meeting with the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union (GNPTDU) today in order to prevent a potential shortage of petroleum products in the market.
The union declared a strike on Monday, May 19, 2024, citing dissatisfaction with their remuneration.
In an interview with Joy Business, Dr. Riverson Oppong, the Chief Executive Officer of the AOMC, revealed that some service stations are already facing stock shortages.
He emphasized that the association is taking proactive measures by holding discussions with both the vehicle owners and the tanker drivers today.
“We are going to sit down with the tanker union. We will meet both the owners and the drivers to make sure that we come to a consensus as on how to go about it”, he said.
Dr. Oppong denied assertions that the oil marketing corporations don’t care about drivers’ conditions.
“I don’t want people to think that we don’t care about the drivers. We care about the drivers. We do care about our drivers. We are against the fact that some of our members are owing the tanker owners who in turn also owe the drivers”.
According to him, the discussion will result in a constructive proposal that would aid in putting an end to the strike.
AOMC express fear of fuel shortage
The AOMC previously voiced profound concern over the strike initiated by the GNPTDU concerning the proposed remuneration framework for Drivers and Mates.
It cautioned that if the deadlock is not swiftly resolved, it could escalate into a severe crisis, potentially leading to fuel shortages.
The association noted its ongoing efforts to address the GNPTDU’s grievances, recognizing the pivotal role tanker drivers play in the petroleum supply chain.
“However, 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”, a statement signed by the Chief Executive of the AOMC, Dr. Riverson Oppong said earlier.
It explained that AOMC members, who operate a significant portion of the tanker fleet are heavily reliant on the drivers.
“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”, it said.