The Railway Workers Union of Ghana intends to strike and picket on September 30, 2025, if the Ghana Railway Company Limited fails to settle its outstanding 12 months of salary arrears dating back to October 2024.
In a formal notification sent to the Greater Accra Regional Commander of the Ghana Police Service on September 15, 2025, the union expressed that its members are facing significant hardship due to the unpaid wages.
The letter described the situation as “grave hardship, including financial distress, broken homes, health complications such as strokes, disruption of children’s education, and general frustration”.
The union indicated that multiple attempts to resolve the issue through the Ministry of Transport and other pertinent agencies have yielded no substantial results.
It criticised the authorities for failing to initiate any lawful procedures for negotiation, mediation, or arbitration as outlined in Section 161 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).
“The current state of affairs has created uncertainty for both the company and its employees,” the union stated.
The notice was also distributed to several organisations, including the National Labour Commission, the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, the Ghana Railway Development Authority, the Trades Union Congress, and the Parliament’s Select Committee on Transport.
The union warned that if concrete measures are not taken by September 22, it will take action under Sections 160 and 171 of the Labour Act to enforce its rights.
Workers from Tema, Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, and Tarkwa are expected to join the industrial action. Plans include picketing at the Ministry of Transport in Accra, submitting a petition to Parliament, visiting the Ghana Railway Development Authority, and ending at the Trades Union Congress headquarters.
The union emphasised that the protest will be conducted peacefully and in accordance with public order regulations, requesting police assistance for security.
This follows an indefinite strike by railway workers in May 2025 over seven months of unpaid wages, which halted passenger services nationwide.
That strike was suspended only after government intervention, but the union asserts that the root issues remain unaddressed.
The Railway Workers Union further reiterated its commitment to ensuring a peaceful protest while stressing that its members can no longer tolerate the deteriorating conditions.