Members of the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union (GNPTDU) say it cannot adhere to the directives by the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Alhassan Tampuli, to rescind its strike because the agreement was not backed by any document.

Members of the GNPTDU embarked on a sit-down strike in demand of a better condition of services which compelled the NPA CEO to meet the tankers drivers for deliberations.

The drivers withdraw their services on Monday, September 24, 2018, over what they described as the NPA’s failure to address their concerns.

The drivers, numbering over 4,000, parked their tankers until the NPA addressed their concerns relating to their conditions of service and welfare.

A day after the strike and the meeting with the NPA CEO which was also attended by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and other stakeholders, the tanker drivers said they will not rescind their decision.

The Chairman of the Union, George Nyauno, said on Tuesday that “the promise was just a verbal one. There was no evidence or document to back the promise”.

He explained that the drivers did not allow him to attend the emergency meeting but they heard the outcome of the meeting from the TUC and “if they [NPA] do not bring the paper, we shall not work”.

Mr. Nyauno explained that this is not the first time the NPA CEO has given them such promise but later failed to fulfill so this time, tankers drivers want the NPA boss to back his promise with document.

The drivers have been protesting against the regulator’s failure to ensure the full implementation of the Petroleum Producers Transportation Delivery Retail and Loss Control Manual, which was formulated by the Energy Commission in 2004, a situation they say, has resulted in a loss of earnings.

They further explained that not implementing the guidelines stipulated in the manual was having dire consequences for them, as their salaries and remunerations are not paid by transporters.