The leadership of the Cocoa Carriers Association has called for an indefinite sit-down strike, effective Monday, October 7, 2024. The strike will affect members working at the Tema, Takoradi, and Kumasi depots of the Cocoa Marketing Company Limited (CMC), as they protest unresolved issues regarding their conditions of service.
This is not the first time the Association has resorted to such action. In 2022, its members initiated a similar strike, demanding better wages and improved working conditions. That previous strike resulted in thousands of bags of cocoa beans being left unattended at various CMC warehouses, highlighting the significant impact of their work stoppage.
Speaking with Citi News on Sunday, the National Chairman of the Cocoa Carriers Association, Raymond Atanga Abobiga, confirmed the directive for the indefinite strike. He urged all members to actively participate in the action to press home their demands.
“We are going to report at work but will be at the gate of the various warehouses, and then we are not going to work until they attend to our needs and our demands,” Abobiga stated.
He was clear that the strike was not aimed at any individual, but rather to fight for what the Association believes is a fair cause. “I want the management of COCBOD and our directors to know that we are not against an individual and that we are fighting a just cause,” he emphasized.
As the indefinite strike begins, concerns are mounting over the potential disruption to the cocoa industry, with the possibility of thousands of bags of cocoa beans once again left unattended if the workers’ demands are not addressed.
