Railway strike hits vendors hard as livelihoods hang in the balance

Ghana Railway workers are on an indefinite strike. They are protesting seven months of unpaid salaries. This strike is impacting local economies, especially food vendors and small traders.

At the Tema-Accra railway station, it looks deserted. The usual sounds of trains and passengers are missing. Most food vendors have also disappeared due to the lack of customers.

The Railway Workers’ Union authorized this strike. Workers will not return until they receive their owed salaries. They also want long-term protections for their jobs.

One vendor, known as “Ama Koko,” shared her struggles with JoyNews. She said, “For about seven months, they haven’t paid the workers.” This situation has severely affected her sales.

She usually sells porridge to commuters rushing for trains. Now, with fewer people around, her business is slow. To cope, she prepares smaller amounts of porridge and lowers prices to sell quickly.

Without a resolution between the government and the union, many suffer economically. Vendors, drivers, and petty traders hope for a quick and fair settlement soon.