By; Sulaiman Jalloh
President of the Sierra Leone Motor Drivers’ Union, Alpha Amadu Bah has said they, as a Union, they work with the Government of the day, while advising that trade unions should work with the incumbent for better collaboration and development.
He was speaking at the weekly press briefing organized by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 in Freetown on the role of his organization in national development.
Mr. Bah said they also negotiate with Government, especially on price of fuel and gas in the country.
“Any union that is in power, you are to work with any government because, according to the Local Government Act, we should pay fees to the councils” the Union’s prezy noted.
The Motor Drivers’ Union leader said the Ministry of Transport, which is their line ministry, is responsible to solve their problems, adding that if government wants to increase the price in pump of fuel, the Ministry normally calls on them to harmonize transport fare.
Detailing the function of the Ministry of Labor to their institution, he said if some of their members have any problem with their employers, they will collaborate with the Labour Ministry to have a table discussion and to proffer solutions.
He however applauded Government on Sierra Leone’s Integration Resilience Urban Mobility Project (SL-IRUMP), noting as an union, they are ready to support the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, especially on the 50 brand new 70-seater buses that are set to arrive in the country, adding that they are ready to sensitize the drivers on the rules of the road, ranging from overloading, over-speeding, among others.
He disclosed that they have arrested most of the drivers that are suspicious of selling Kush and other harmful substances in different parks across the country, adding that they have expelled many members from the Union while others are behind bars for various drug and misconduct related crimes.
He said his organization’s leadership is focused on promoting, protecting and defending their members, adding that dealing with people with little or no formal education is difficult.
Speaking on the money collected by his leadership, the drives’ boss said there is no park around the country used by drivers that is paying tax to council.
He added that they as executives get their salaries from the amount they collect from drivers, adding that of recent, they partnered with Legal-Aid Board and freed forty-nine drivers from prison, revealing that the Union was responsible to pay all their fines.
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Wednesday 1st November, 2023 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)