Attn: Restoration Of Fuel Subsidies: Tuc Exposed

The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) finds the stance of the Trade Union of Ghana (TUC) interesting and unhelpful to labour agitation, restoration of subsidies and their quest to protect the interest of the organize labour in particular and Ghanaians in general.

It is imperative to know that, the Steering Committee meeting of the TUC on Friday 6th of January 2012 formed the premise of their decision on the removal of subsidies in a Press Conference on the 12th of January 2012.

In the same Press Conference the Secretary of TUC Kofi Asamoah said “the conditions that necessitated the introduction of subsidies by previous Government is still prevalent and there is an overwhelming necessity for the Government to continue to subsidise petroleum product’

He again said that one of the immediate effects of high petroleum prices was the increase in road transport fares that directly affect the poor who commute via commercial vehicles

We ask a very simple question; what has change now?

AFAG again finds the communiqué between the TUC and the Ministry of Employment and Social welfare lukewarm and unacceptable considering the stance of TUC of subsidy restoration and now 20% reduction of the 15% working out to a paltry 20pesewas.

We are not only disappointed in how they have handled this subsidy restoration matter but also lost the trust of the TUC leadership to fight for the ordinary labour. As we speak the issues of fare reduction has been rejected by Alhaji Tetteh’s led GPRTU, hence no concomitant effect on price of goods and services.

Certainly, a minimum wage discussion, Public sector wage negotiations, improvement of Mass transport system and a 20p reduction cannot be an alternative for a steering committee decision of the TUC of subsidy restoration and an end to labour agitation and hardship that the ordinary worker experiences. Can the TUC leadership assure the nation when salary negotiations would be concluded? The inability of TUC leadership to be consistent and resolute in fighting for the workers of the nation is most worrying.

What we are calling for is a similar zeal and determined spirit of Comrade Peter Esele led TUC of Nigeria, who resisted all local and international threat and fought tirelessly until the subsidies were restored. That is certainly the mark of an organized group with a vision to fight the course of the Labour in particular and Nigerians in general. But this happy-go-lucky kind of an attitude exhibited by TUC Ghana is a betrayal.

As we called for the restoration of the subsidies in our 10th of January Press conference and said we are more than spirited to fight it with the last drop of blood left in us through a mass action in all the 10 regions of this country, our position has not change. And in the next few days the NDC Government will hear from us on the next stop of our demonstration

Signed:

Arnold Boateng- 0244294754

Abu Ramadan -0244570006

Bright Acheampong- 0545230621

Joshua Kyeremateng- 0249293508