GHANAIAN WORKERS DEMAND END TO TYRANNY


TUC Secretary General, Kofi Asamoah
By Duke Nii Amartey Tagoe
Organized labour has held a massive demonstration in the 10 regional capitals of Ghana to demand an end to the tyranny of government and the dwindling fortunes of Ghanaian workers.

The leadership of the striking workers has expressed outrage at the recent bizarre increases in the price of utilities-water and electricity.

The more than 5000 demonstrators drawn from the workers unions of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) have also called for a full disclosure of the agreement signed between the government of Ghana and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Following the recent bailout of government by the Bretton Woods institution, spokespersons of government have dropped hints about a possible takeover or sale or privatization of the Electricity Company of Ghana.

The move will also lead to the partition of the Volta River Authority into two entities in order to create space or allow for the participation of private businesses.

In the middle of the confusion, Ghana has been yet to determine the ownership of the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO). The company siphons much of the energy that is produced by the VRA to the detriment of ordinary Ghanaian citizens.

Meanwhile, Mr Joël Touhas-Bernaté, Mission Chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for Ghana, says the increase in electricity tariffs reflected a “new reality for Ghana”.

He said the global environment with declining commodity prices and tightening in international markets has lead to higher borrowing costs and therefore the need to raise revenues locally.

According to him, the increase in tariff was necessary “while steps are being taken to improve electricity supply by bringing in new producers”.

What this brilliant White man sitting in Washington with a cup of hot coffee in hand is simply trying to say is that, in order for private companies to find the energy sector lucrative for investment, the power sector must be restructured to pay for existing debts and to maximize profit for the new comers.

Unfortunately, what Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama and his administration is refusing to recognise is that all decisions of government have political implications.

What is worse, these protests by organized labour are coming at a time when the country is gearing up for a heated general election on the 7th of November 2016 amidst rising levels of unemployment.

A pictorial report of the workers’ demonstration can be found below:

TUC Secretary General leads nation wide protests over rise in in prices of basic commodities
 More than 50, 000 workers protest over dwindling fortunes in the streets of Accra
A protestor calls on President Mahama to fix the economy
 Organised labour calls for better working conditions and the removal of outrageous taxes
 Accra draws to a halt as workers protests along the principal streets
We Are Suffering said this placard
A protestor with a placard asking the President to remove taxes on Petroleum
Workers oppose new tariffs and demands immediate cut
A well attended protest march drums home the suffering of ordinary Ghanaian workers
Labour Relations Minister addresses protestors and pleads for calm
Photo credits: Daily Graphic and Samuel Tei Adano

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE STATE OF CHILD LABOUR IN GHANA

Image
INTRODUCTION: Shocking statistics from the Ghana Statistical Service reveal that 1.9 million Ghanaian children between the ages of 5 and 17 are engaged in work that is harmful to their mental and physical development. Large numbers of these children have been separated from their families and are engaged in perilous work such as transportation of heavy loads, drug trade, commercial sex exploitation, fishing, domestic services, and stone quarrying with many of them held in debt bondage in the capitals of the regions across the country. The figures were disclosed at a media launch of the World Day Against Child Labour in Accra organized by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and other Civil Society Organisations. Please read below the opinion of policy makers and child labour officers about the child lab...
Read more

The Plight of Hawkers on the Streets of Accra

Image
INTRODUCTION: There has been a massive emigration to the South of the capital and in the absence of industries to accommodate these numbers-perhaps because of the liberalization of the economy, deregulation and privatization of state owned enterprises with accusing fingers being pointed at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (I.M.F)-an absolute flare-up of the informal sector has occured and street hawking has become lucrative. However, they (hawkers) will have to battle it out with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (A.M.A) which seeks to decongest the capital of illegal structures and the hawkers who have almost taken over the principal streets of Accra and worsening the traffic jams. We have heard the AMA but lets go to the hawkers and find out what they have to say. AKUA DARKUAH (PURE WATER SELLER) “ The kinds of treatment being meted out to sellers along this street here at the Airport Junction are very pathetic and we are getting angry about the decongestion ...
Read more

About The Developmental Challenges of Offuman.

Image
Introduction: Offuman is a predominantly farming community in the Tekyiman-North constituency of the Brong-Ahafo region. The hob for the cultivation of a greater part of the foodstuffs currently being consumed by the country, this township faces some of the most deplorable conditions when it comes to good roads and other amenities. What the people say brings you views from Offuman in Brong Ahafo region of Ghana:     Prince Tweneboa Kodua (Rtd BNI Officer) “The keen competition in this place (Offuman) between the NDC and the NPP come with some security implications for the ruling party. Although the NDC did not win the Tekyiman North constituency in the last elections, Offuman contributed immensely to the total votes of the party and anyone can find out from the electoral commission. Despite the incentives Ameyaw Akumfi, the incumbent NPP MP offered this township in terms of minor renovations and some incentives, Offuman voted massively against h...
Read more