- The Cocoa Carriers Association of Ghana has issued a stern warning to COCOBOD
- The association is demanding a significant hike in the current fee
- This is not the first time the carriers have resorted to such action
The Cocoa Carriers Association of Ghana has issued a stern warning to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), threatening a nationwide strike if their demands for increased labor fees are not met.
The association is demanding a significant hike in the current fee paid for carrying cocoa beans at various warehouses.
The current rate of GHC1.70 per bag of cocoa beans is deemed insufficient by the carriers, who are calling for an upward adjustment to GHC3.
As a result, the association’s leadership has instructed its members at the Tema, Takoradi, and Kumasi depots of the Cocoa Marketing Company Limited to commence an indefinite sit-down strike.
This is not the first time the carriers have resorted to such action.
In 2022, a similar strike was staged to demand higher wages and improved working conditions, leading to the accumulation of thousands of bags of cocoa beans at various warehouses.
Raymond Atanga Abobiga, the national chairman of the association, expressed frustration over the treatment of cocoa carriers, describing it as unfair. He directed all members nationwide to participate in the indefinite strike.
“We are struggling,” Abobiga stated. “The middlemen or contractors who act as intermediaries between carriers and the board take any amount and impose wages on us without our consent. No one in Ghana can do what we do here. They even brought in prisoners to replace us, but they couldn’t.”
“We will report to work, but we will remain at the gates of the various warehouses,” he added. “We will not work until our needs and demands are addressed.”
A visit by a news team to the Cocoa Marketing Company depot in Kumasi confirmed the carriers’ refusal to perform their usual duties of unpacking, carrying, and stacking bags of cocoa.
The association has made it clear that they will not back down until their demands are met by COCOBOD management, emphasizing that their protest is a fight for fairness and not against any individual.
