Kasseh Market Sweepers Begin Indefinite Strike Over Three Months’ Unpaid Salaries
Story By: Zainab Ali
About 27 market sweepers at Kasseh Market in the Ada East District of the Greater Accra Region have embarked on an indefinite strike over three months of unpaid salaries.
The workers began the industrial action on Monday, November 2, demanding payment of their outstanding wages before returning to work.
Some of the affected workers, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency on condition of anonymity, said delays in the payment of their salaries had become a recurring problem.
They alleged that they had worked for about two years under the previous administration without receiving their salaries.
The workers further claimed that during the 2024 election campaign, some National Democratic Congress leaders promised to increase their monthly remuneration from GH¢250 to GH¢700.
According to them, after the new administration assumed office, they continued working for another 10 months without payment.
They said the assembly’s leadership later invited them to a meeting and increased their monthly remuneration from GH¢250 to GH¢350. However, they claimed that they had not received their salaries for the past three months.
The workers expressed frustration over the situation, explaining that many of them were ageing and had families and children depending on their earnings.
Some also alleged that they had faced intimidation whenever they spoke to the media about their working conditions.
Meanwhile, a visit by the Ghana News Agency to the market on Wednesday revealed heaps of refuse accumulating around parts of the facility following market activities.
The accumulated waste included used plastic bags, leftover food and other discarded materials, leaving sections of the market littered and raising concerns about sanitation and possible health risks.
The District Chief Executive for Ada East, Kenneth Kabu Kofi Kanor, declined to comment when contacted by the agency.
The strike has therefore raised concerns about both the welfare of the affected workers and the sanitation situation at the busy market.