In an interview with The Point yesterday, Mr. Ceesay said: “The sit-down strike is going to continue tomorrow. As of now, the sit-down strike will continue in the next 42 hours. We are ready and open to dialogue with the Ministry of Transport,” he posited.
The GTU President alleged that the Ministry of Transport never consulted them for dialogue with a view to addressing the on-going strike. “Our strike may continue in the next 72 hours. However, this is not certain. It’s not the first time we are embarking on a sit-down strike. This is the third time I am striking. How can we address our demands when the Ministry of Transport failed to invite us for discussion?
“For us, all our demands are important. We want the government to reduce the fuel price; reduce the number of police checkpoints on the main highways; reduce the fees at the Senegambia Bridge and also the issue of driver’s licence.”
Other commercial drivers who are not participating in the strike, Ceesay went on, are not part of them, while further claiming: “However, we achieve our target as 90% of the drivers have joined the sit-down strike.”
The Police Spokeswoman, Cadet ASP Binta Njie, has also confirmed that two drivers were arrested by the police in Brikama for obstructing other drivers who wished not to be part of the on-going strike. She was, however, quick to add that the said drivers have all been released.
