AMA Taskforce On Hunger Strike

Angry taskforce of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) are threatening to go on a sit- down hunger strike in protest of what they described as low-allowances paid them and poor conditions of service, Today has gathered.

According to the information available to Today, the AMA taskforce are demanding a 70 per cent increase in allowances.

But the AMA is reluctant to honour their demand which the taskforce have labeled this action of the AMA as an insult.

According to the taskforce workers, a meeting is scheduled between them and the authorities of AMA next week.

And the AMA taskforce is hopeful the stand-off will be resolved at next week’s meeting to avert the intended strike.

When Today visited the various working duty-posts of the AMA taskforce yesterday, the taskforce were seen in sad mood with some of them complaining bitterly about lack of security logistics, particularly vehicles to enable them discharge their duties.

The agitated taskforce workers decried that, “we have worked for AMA for about seven years now but our allowances are even not up to GH¢250. What we receive at the end of the month is GH¢210.”

“We are the least paid among the AMA workers and also not treated as human beings. We are tired of this shabby treatment. Even the AMA does not pay our Social Security and National Insurance Trust,” (SSNIT) an irate taskforce worker who pleaded anonymity lamented.

“We are always working from Monday to Sunday and because of our work schedule we are unable to attend to church, another worker stressed.

The workers told Today that they are unhappy that certain incentives they used to receive in the past are no more there.

They pointed out that the authorities of AMA are spending lavishly on luxurious cars running into millions of cedis while only fourteen of the 500 taskforce ‘earn basic salaries’ above two hundred Ghana cedis.

According to the taskforce, all attempts to get their allowances increased have not yielded any result, compelling the suffering them to embark on a sit down hunger strike.

The taskforce further told Today that they will decide on the next line of action if next week’s meeting with the AMA fails to yield any positive dividends.

Meanwhile attempts to get the Director in-charge of AMA Taskforce, Chief Okine and the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of AMA, Numo Blafo III, to speak to the issues raised by the taskforce proved futile as they all told Today that they were in a meeting.