Tema, Oct 21, GNA - Unionised petroleum workers have urged the President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, to help find a lasting solution to the crude oil problem facing the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR). In a Resolution passed at a joint Emergency General Meeting by members of the Ghana Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers' Union (GTP&CWU) and the Professional and Managerial Staff Union (PMSU) of the Union of Industries Commerce and Finance at TOR, they stressed the President's intervention was crucial as series of discussions at different levels between the Union leadership and "the powers that be" had not yielded any positive results.

The resolution was signed jointly by Mr Samuel Mills Anderson, Secretary of PMSU of UNICOF and Mr Israel Adrah, Assistant Secretary of GTP&CWU, and addressed to the Chairman of the Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL), Mr Wilson Agana, with copies to the Acting Managing Director of TOR and the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress.

It pointed out that, "TOR has not been about its core business of refining crude oil, a situation which at various times of the year, led to fuel shortages, with serious implications on trade and commerce at various sectors of the economy, and for that matter, some level of hardships on the Ghanaian populace."

The resolution further said the unavailability of crude oil to make the plant run, "has a consequential deterioration on the installations, which will ultimately add to the already huge TOR debt due to cost of maintenance."

"Other industries which are dependent on TOR for Residual Fuel Oil (RFO) are on the verge of temporarily closing down," the resolution said. The resolution pointed out that workers of TOR "are at a loss as to why Sahara Oil is able to supply Crude Oil to the Volta River Authority, but is being prevented from supplying to TOR."

The resolution expressed the hope that with the TUC behind this struggle, "we shall overcome all oppressive intentions against labour." When the Ghana News Agency contacted Mr Agana, he confirmed having received the resolution, and said members of the TDCL would convene an Emergency General Meeting on Friday, October 23, to deliberate and take a stance on it.