Organised labour groups in U/E sets Nov. 14 as demonstration day

07-11-13 

Section of participants at the meeting

The leadership of Organised Labour groups in the Upper East Region have expressed their readiness to embark on a regional demonstration to drum home their demand for a reduction in utility tariffs ahead of the proposed strike action by the Trades Union Congress (TUC). Labour unions  at an emergency meeting in Bolgatanga have therefore  set aside November 14, as the day for the intended public demonstration should  government fails to heed to their call. The Regional Chairman of the TUC, Naba Thomas Akolgo Saabo, told Radio Ghana that the move to embark on the said demonstration follows a directive requesting all labour unions to convene emergency meetings as soon as possible to adopt necessary resolutions to back the planned nationwide industrial action.  Moreover, organised labour groups nationwide are requested to meet, plan and stage demonstrations ahead of the national sit down strike action. According to him, organised labour under the said directive is calling on all workers in both formal and informal sectors to stay at home on November 18, 2013, in protect against the astronomical increase in utility tariffs. Naba Saabo further called on workers to fully participate in the intended strike actions in order to send strong signals to government that decisions cannot be made on behalf of the general public without taking into consideration, the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian. He said organised labour is dissatisfied about the failure on the part of government and the PURC to reduce tariffs to affordable levels, therefore any action to demand an appreciable reduction was justified. He however appealed to concerned organised groups to support the TUC in its on-going struggle to enable them achieve their set objective. There were fraternal and goodwill messages from representatives of the various labour union groups including NAGRAT, POTAG, ICU, PAAG and GNAT. They all used the platform to express their preparedness to rally behind the TUC to compel government to reduce the astronomical utility hikes.

GBC                                                  END                                                                        IA