Freetown — Aggrieved workers of the Gouji investment and development corporation Thursday commenced an indefinite sit down strike for what they described as a failure by management to improve on their poor conditions of service.

According one of the workers conditions of service for the past two years have been poor but the Chinese managed manufacturing industry has done nothing to address the issue.

A driver at Gouji, Ibrahim Jalloh told Concord Times that they were not going to work until management improves on the condition of services for workers.

"We have not received transport, medical and housing allowances since we started working for them. We have held several meetings with them but none has come out successful," he said.

Jalloh said the matter has been reported to the ministry of employment and social security but that government was yet to intervene.

"We are not going to tolerate it any more. It's either they improve on our conditions of service or we continue to strike," he said.

National organizing secretary of the union Alfred Bangura said they were aware of the strike action but there was nothing they could have done as a union to stop the protest members.

"The issue of poor conditions of service of workers has been there for two years. Nothing has been done by the employment ministry to address the issue," he said.

Labourer Aruna Conteh said they have not been paid for at the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT), for the past two years even though the contribution was being deducted from their salaries.

Regional secretary of the workers union Mohamed Kamara said several meetings have been held with the management since April this year to no avail.

"The management is reluctant to address the concerns of workers. The Chinese people have no respect for Sierra Leoneans working for them," he said.

He added that the office has no toilet and water facility but assured other members that would continue to dialogue with them until a suitable solution to the problem is reached.