Organised Labour has decided to go ahead with its planned two-day nationwide demonstration following government’s refusal to reduce what they describe as “astronomical” increase in taxes and utility tariffs.
The nationwide demonstration which is expected to be held on January 19 and 20, will be followed by a nationwide strike on January 21 and 22.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) in December 2015, increased electricity and water tariffs by 59.2 percent and 67.2 percent respectively.
Government further slapped a number of taxes on petroleum products which increased petrol price by 27% and diesel by 18% this month [January].
[contextly_sidebar id=”R9il2433fZEsTZ0QtQcPHrZ8X5ejrvnU”]Speaking on the development on Citi Eyewitness News, the President of the Ghana federation of Labour, Abraham Koomson, revealed organised labour had put forth their demands and concerns with the new hikes to Government.
They demanded a decrease in the utility tariffs and a scrapping of the new petroleum tax hikes.
But government after meeting with organised labour refused to withdraw the petroleum levies and agreed to reduce utility tariffs by only 5%.
Commenting on the meeting which took place yesterday [Thursday], Mr Koomson said : “The meeting was not conclusive because we were demanding for the total withdrawal of the levies on the petroleum products and they were insisting that if f they do that it will also distort their projections for economic recovery.”
The negotiations, according to Mr. Koomson, have thus been adjourned to next week Thursday, January 21.
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By Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana