Trade Unions Gearing To �Hit The Streets�

After a series of sustained talks with the executive arm of government led by Vice President, John Mahama, the Ghana Trades Union Congress has announced that the talks were inconclusive and as a result could see their members hitting the streets in protest.

Consequently, the TUC will tomorrow hold meeting s with Council of Labour in all the 10 regions of the country to plan further actions such as a mass demonstration to compel government to restore the subsidies on petroleum products.

This is in reaction to the December 28 twenty (20) percent hike in petroleum products announced by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), to which the TUC issued three subsequent statements condemning the increases.

At a press conference to announce the deadlock in talks with the executive, Kofi Asamoah, the TUC Secretary-General, said that subsidies in fuel pricing are an important mechanism by which the state directly mitigates the effects of petroleum price increase on Ghanaians -- most of whom earn very low incomes or have no incomes at all.

Sporting a red band worn around his neck, Kofi Asamoah noted that members of the Union have shown overwhelming support for the position of the TUC, adding that since the increases were announced, the leadership of the TUC has engaged government several times to dialogue on the issues -- but he lamented that it was not fruitful.

Addressing a large congregation of members at the TUC Headquarters -- who all wore red bands -- Mr. Asamoah expressed Labour�s readiness to demonstrate to drum home their concerns while the members sang in solidarity with the leadership as they announced their next line of action.

B&FT was at the TUC headquarters last Monday find out how their negotiations with government was progressing. However, the leadership of the Union was still in negotiations with government at the Castle and a Union representative told B&FT that by Wednesday, February 1, the talks would have ended and a position taken.

Labour was not convinced by the mitigating action taken by government to pay public workers in the middle of the month (January, 2012). According to the TUC, in countries where governments do not subsidise petroleum products there is an efficient and highly subsidised public transport system that benefits the poor.

They concluded by saying that the conditions that necessitated the introduction of subsidies by previous governments are still prevalent, and that there is an overwhelming necessity for government to continue subsidising petroleum products.