TUC shows govt red flag

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    Secretary General of the TUC, Kofi Asamoah

    The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has announced it will hit the streets on Wednesday to protest against the increasing cost of living in the country.

    The leaders of the union have urged all Ghanaian workers to join in the demonstration to press home their demand for a reduction in fuel price, taxes and utility tariffs.

    The Secretary General of the TUC, Kofi Asamoah says negotiations with government to reduce taxes and utility tariffs have been futile.

    Mr. Asamoah accused government of losing touch with the ordinary Ghanaian worker while it imposes hardship on the citizens.

    “We are left with no option than to hit the streets to express outrage. Government has lost touch with the economic realities of the people,” he stated.

    This demonstration, will be the second of such nationwide protest by workers against President John Mahama’s administration.

    In July 2014, thousands of Ghanaian workers poured onto the streets to protest against what they described as unbearable economic conditions.

    Currently, figures released by the Ghana Statistical Service show that inflation is at 17.7 percent.

    The TUC got more agitated when in December 2015, the PURC announced a 67 and 59 per cent increase in electricity and water tariffs respectively, which was rejected by workers.

    Later in that same month, government announced the imposition of an energy sector levy which caused the prices of petroleum products to surge to an average of 30 per cent.

    Among their demands, the TUC is pressing on government to reduce utility prices to 50 percent while it withdraws the energy sector levy.

    Mr. Asamoah hinted that labour would be monitoring government’s responses after the demonstration and will likely begin a nationwide strike if government remains obdurate.

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