Organised Labour explains why they are protesting

Accra, July 24, GNA - Organised labour on Thursday, embarked on a nationwide demonstration to express their frustration about the prevailing high cost of living.

The protest led by Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of Trade Union Congress and other leaders of organised labour started at the Obra Spot at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, where the placard wielding workers clad in red walked through some principal streets of Accra before converging at the Black Stars Square.

The virtually peaceful demonstration attracted about 800 police personnel dressed in anti-riot gear to maintain the peace.

A hand out circulated among the protestors said since the beginning of the year, organised Labour had used different platforms and avenues to call on government to fix the declining economy.

'This year, we commemorated May Day on the theme: 'Ghana's Economy: A concern for all,' to demonstrate our concern.

'At the National May Day Parade, organised labour stated that Ghana's economy has been seriously weakened and failing; and that the economy is not working for the majority of Ghanaians,' the document said.

It said: 'We acknowledge the effort of government in addressing the deteriorating economic situation; however, the working people of Ghana continue to face increasing economic and social hardships.

'A significant number of citizens have been compelled by the prevailing difficulties to cut both welfare and necessity consumption whilst businesses and industries suffocate.

'Times are very hard for the majority of citizens.   And there is a limit to which citizens can endure.

'Organised labour insists that the government of President John Dramani Mahama has a constitutional duty to implement urgent and appropriate measures to arrest the economic decline.'

It asked government to immediately implement an action to halt the depreciation of the cedi and rising cost of living as well as policy initiatives and measures to ensure the provision of requisite and critical infrastructure, including putting on stream the gas pipeline, and efficiency in the production and distribution of electricity and water.

Government must also assure citizens against price hikes and review prices of petroleum products and a halt to the lazy and facile reflex of simply increasing the prices of these products as the cedi depreciates due to the mismanagement of the economy and poor fiscal policies.

The document asked for immediate and effective policy measures to ensure that Tema Oil Refinery operates at full capacity.

The workers called for concrete measures to ensure that the railway sector is revamped and the plight of the workers addressed, while government and the National Pensions Regulatory Authority should address the challenges in the implementation of the new pensions scheme.

They demanded immediate action to stop the attempts by government to impose a pension trust on public sector workers and effective measures to address the widespread perception of corruption in high office, which has reached unprecedented level.

The document said government should prosecute all persons against whom there is evidence of gross anti-social acts, irrespective of the social or political status.

It said the power of the people is much stronger than the people in power!

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