Organised Labour to boycott work Thursday

Organised Labour has declared a one-day national protest and is asking all workers under the umbrella to boycott work on Thursday, 24th July, 2014.

”…To back these demands and as a demonstration of our serious concern over the existing state of affairs, Organised Labour declares a one day national protestation on Thursday July 24, 2014,” said the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Kofi Asamoah.

He explained that on that day, “all workers including those of you in the media, formal and informal are to stay away from work and converge at designated locations in Accra and other regional capitals to demonstrate.”

Mr. Asamoah announced this at a press conference in Accra on Friday.

According to him, the move is to express the displeasure of labour over government’s decisions and the worsening economic situation in the country.

He therefore urged workers in industries, employers and all well-meaning Ghanaians “feeling the pinch of the situation to support and join this clarion call; these actions have become necessary to express the frustrations of working people and Ghanaians on the high cost of living.”

Mr. Asamoah stated that workers are losing their jobs as businesses fold up.

”Unemployment particularly among the youth keeps rising, the energy situation is worsening and the taps are not flowing, as potable water continues to be rationed ; existing taxes have been increased and many new and strange taxes are being introduced,” he further explained.

He added that the National Health Insurance Scheme is under serious financial stress and that the scheme has been unable to pay service providers.

He also accused policy makers (government) of watching the Tema Oil Refinery ”die slowly”. ”Railtransportation which is one of the safest, cost effective and reliable means of transporting goods and people, have been allowed to almost collapse,” he noted.

”It beats imagination why governments over the years have been paying lip service to revamp this important sector of public transportation,” Mr. Asamoah opined.

The TUC boss in summary stressed that times are hard for working people and ”indeed the majority of Ghanaians”.

”Prognosis on the economy is not good either; there is a limit to what working people and Ghanaians can take.”

Organised Labour, therefore, is demanding that the government pay immediate attention to the following demands;

1. An immediate action by government to halt the depreciation of the Cedi and the rising cost of living.
2. Immediate policy initaitives and measures to ensure the requiste infrastructure, including put on stream the gas pipeline and efficiency in the production and distribution of electricty, water and other utilitis to assure citizens against price hike
3. Immediate downward review of prices of petroleum products
4. Immediate and effective policy measures to ensure that TOR operates in full capacity
5. Immediate and concrete measures to ensure that the railway sector is revamped and the plight of the workers addressed, etc