Railway Workers Union appeals to Gov't to pay severance packages of members
The appeal was made at a press conference in Takoradi as the Union welcomed the payment of 20 months’ salary arrears owed workers.
The Railway Workers Union (RWU) of Ghana has implored the government to pay severance packages to affected workers of the Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL) and hasten the completion of the 20-kilometre Takoradi-Nsuta extension of the Western Railway Line. This was made known during a press conference in Takoradi, where the union expressed gratitude for the payment of 20 months' salary arrears to workers, which amounted to the period between October 2024 and May 2026.
The payment, made on August 24, 2026, offered significant relief to workers who had faced financial hardships and uncertainty.
General Secretary of the RWU, Benjamin Essuman, stated that the payment of salary arrears was more than a monetary transaction; it symbolized hope, dignity, and renewed confidence in addressing workers' concerns. The union thanked President John Dramani Mahama, the Vice President, the Chief of Staff, and other stakeholders for their role in resolving the salary arrears.
Despite the relief, the RWU highlighted two persistent issues: the payment of severance packages for GRCL workers and the acceleration of the Takoradi-Nsuta railway extension.
Essuman emphasized that the completion of the extension would bring substantial economic and social benefits to Ghana, including enhancing the railway sector's capacity to transport manganese and other minerals, increasing revenue, generating employment, and supporting economic activity in the Western Region. He stressed that the railway extension is a vital economic, employment, revenue-generation, and national development initiative.
The union also called for increased investment in Ghana's railway sector to create sustainable jobs, particularly for young people, in areas such as passenger services, mineral haulage, freight operations, maintenance, engineering, and logistics. The RWU remains committed to promoting industrial peace, protecting workers' interests, and contributing to the development of Ghana's railway sector, with the hope that government will address its two appeals and expedite the pay-outs and extension completion.
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