Organized Labour in the Ashanti Region has concluded a meeting with the Ghana Police Service in Kumasi, in preparation for its planned demonstration on February 13.
The demonstration comes in the wake of the government’s failure to withdraw the imposition of the 15 percent Value-Added Tax (VAT) on domestic electricity, as demanded by the unions.
During the meeting, the labour unions discussed their proposed routes and the scheduled date for the protest, after concerns raised by the police in a previous meeting.
Speaking to JoyNews, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Augustine Adongo emphasised that they are not taking directives from the government and will not rescind their decision to demonstrate on the scheduled date.
According to him, the unions are taking directives from their leaders, emphasising that if the government waits until the night of Monday, February 12, to declare the withdrawal of the VAT implementation, it will be too late for the leadership of organised labour to meet and direct them to withdraw the demonstration.
“We, in the regions, are prepared to ensure that we will pass through where the market women are – they are feeling it even more than us. We will pass there and then tell them that if the government is insensitive to their plight, we, in organized labour, care for them and will fight this fight till our last blood.
“So what you are saying is true. If the government should come out on time for organised labour at the national level to meet and come out to tell us that we should stop, we in the region have no power to stop. Other than that, we are ever ready to make sure that next week we hit the streets,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) says they are not backing down on their decision to demonstrate against the implementation of the 15 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity.
Joshua Ansah emphasised that the Union will not reconsider or change its decision until government completely withdraws the VAT letter.
He admonished all workers to join in the nationwide demonstration to express their displeasure with the government.
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