Workers in regions demonstrate against high cost of living
Workers in the regional capitals yesterday joined a demonstration by organised labour to protest recent hikes in fuel prices and utility tariffs.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and other organised labour unions such as the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and the Ghana Registered Nurses Association are demanding a reduction in utility tariffs and the scrapping of the Energy Sector Levies Act which increased fuel prices by almost 30 per cent.
From Kumasi, Ato Dapatem and Kwadwo Donkor report that a large number of dissatisfied and angry workers in the Ashanti Region embarked on a massive demonstration to impress upon the Mahama administration to drastically reduce the recent utility tariff increases and fuel price hikes.
The unionised workers, wearing red bands, started converging on the Jubilee Park in Kumasi as early as 5.45 a.m.
They carried placards, some of which read: “Insensitive government", "Competent only in price increases",
"We need a competent President", "Withdraw the taxes or we will withdraw you, President Mahama", “Competent in Corruption".
Most of the public schools in Kumasi did not have lessons because their teachers participated in the demonstration.
The almost four-hour demonstration, which went through some of the streets in the central business district of Kumasi, ended at the Kumasi Centre for National Culture.
The leadership did not present any petition to anybody
From Sekondi-Takoradi Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah reports that hundreds of workers in the Western Region participated in the demonstration.
As early as 7 a.m., the workers had started arriving and massing up at the Jubilee Park in Takoradi, from where they matched through selected principal streets in Sekondi before presenting their petition to the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC).
Amid brass band tunes, the demonstrators, in red and black attire, carried placards, some of which read: “What is legacy debt?”, “Governance is about the development of the citizenry”, “Mr President, everybody is crying, including children”, “Too many taxes on the public worker” and “Review the insensitive increases in taxes and levies”.
Ho
A fairly large number of workers in the Volta Region went on a demonstration through some principal streets of Ho as part of their protest against hikes in taxes, levies and utility tariffs, reports Tim Dzamboe from Ho.
They held placards with inscriptions such as: “Mr President wake up”, “High tariffs are killing us”, “Unbearable economic situation”, “ Mr President, give us a definite timeline for resolving our Dumsor”, “
Accountability should be a must for all”, “IMF bail out is modern colonialism”,” Mr President, workers are truly hungry”, “High utility tariffs , poor service delivery”, “Pensioners are suffering” and “Reduce the tax burden on workers”.
The demonstrators later converged on the forecourt of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) where the Regional Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Van Lare, presented the grievances of the workers to the Chief Director of the VRCC, Mr Ibrahim Al-Hassan.
Receiving the petition, Mr Al-Hassan commended the workers for the orderly and peaceful manner in which they engaged in the demonstration and assured them that their grievances would be presented to the appropriate authorities.
Sunyani
From Sunyani, Kwame Asiedu Marfo reports that workers in the Sunyani municipality went on a peaceful demonstration through the principal streets of Sunyani as part of a nationwide demonstration called by the leadership of organised labour unions to register their protest against increases in taxes, levies and utility tariffs.
The workers, who converged on the main Sunyani Post Office clad in red and black outfits and wearing red armbands, went through the streets amid brass band music.
They held placards, some of which read” “Reduce utility and taxes”, “Give us a living wage”, “We cannot afford it”, “Remove levies”, “Mahama reduce the energy levy”, “Mr President have compassion for Ghanaians” and “Do not play with workers’ lives”.
There was heavy security presence to ensure law and order to avoid the situation where a similar demonstration in the region turned chaotic two years ago.
The demonstrators later gathered at the Brong Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council to present their petition, signed by the General Secretary of the TUC, Mr Kofi Asamoah, and read by the Brong Ahafo
Regional Secretary of the TUC, Mr Joseph Kwame Ankamah, to the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Justice Samuel Adjei.
Mr Adjei said the government would continue to dialogue with the leadership of organised labour on the way forward.
Wa
About 150 members of organised labour in the Upper West Region went on a peaceful demonstration in Wa as part of a nationwide action to protest recent tariff increases and fuel price hikes, writes Michael Quaye, Wa.
The demonstrators started gathering by 7:15 a.m. and by 8:20 a.m. they were off on the streets.
In all, 17 different unions participated in the exercise.
Some 60 policemen were deployed to protect the demonstrators as they embarked on the one-hour-45-minute march through some principal streets of the municipality.
They later presented a petition, prepared from Accra and bearing the name of the General Secretary of the TUC, Mr Kofi Asamoah, to the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council.
Bolgatanga
From Bolgatanga, Alhandu Abdul-Hamid writes that scores of workers embarked on a demonstration to protest the recent increases in utility tariffs and the introduction of the Energy Sector Levies Act.
They started gathering at the Jubilee Park in Bolgatanga late in the morning and later marched through the principal streets amid security protection by the Ghana Police Service.
The demonstrators eventually converged on the precincts of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council where they presented a petition to the outgoing Upper East Regional Minister, Mr James Zuuga
Tiiga, with a call on the government to withdraw the recently introduced Energy Sector Levies Act, as well as reduce utility tariffs.
Koforidua
Naa Lamiley Bentil reports from the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua, where about 1,000 workers turned up to participate in the nation-wide demonstration.
Clad in red shirts, scarfs and head bands, the demonstrators held placards, some of which read: “Reduce fuel prices now”, “Electricity is for every Ghanaian, not ECG alone”, “Hear the masses’ voice”’,
“President Mahama, have pity on the vulnerable”’ and “Energy sector levy must go”.
The 150 policemen who were deployed to maintain law and order had to devise a strategy to ensure that the demonstration was peaceful.
The Eastern Regional Secretary of the TUC, Mrs Phyllis Agyeman, said the government had failed to listen to organised labour to review downward the increment, despite its continued protest.
She expressed the hope that the nation-wide demonstration would send a strong signal to the government to act now.
Tamale
The nationwide demonstration by organised labour affected public sector business and other allied services in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital, as pubic sector workers hit the streets in the regional capital to protest against increases in utility tariffs and the energy levy introduced by the government reports Samuel Duodu from Tamale.
The workers, clad in red attire and red armbands, converged on the Jubilee Park, from where they marched through some commercial streets in the metropolis.
They ended up at the forecourt of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council where they presented a petition to the Deputy Regional Minister, Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini.
Cape Coast
From Cape Coast, Timothy Gobah and Shirley Asiedu-Addo report that a large number of workers in the Central Region undertook a two-hour march through the principal streets of Cape Coast to protest against the high utility tariffs.
About 100 policemen were deployed to provide protection for the demonstrators and ensure it was peaceful.
The workers, clad in mostly black and red attire, carried placards, some of which read: “Workers must be treated fairly”, “Withdraw the ‘killer’ energy sector levies”, “Incompetent Mahama must go”,
“Mahama, you have disappointed Ghanaians” and “Respect workers”.
They also sang improvised songs damning the Mahama administration.
They later converged on the Victoria Park where they were addressed by the Central Regional Secretary of the TUC, Mr Samuel Doughan.
He said workers were struggling to make ends meet, hence the demonstration to register their displeasure.
