We forgot about Prof Mills’ 2nd anniversary - TUC

Just like how the Bible tells us of how Jonah was swallowed by the whale when he was thrown into the sea, Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) says he was almost ‘swallowed’ by his members when he suggested that their scheduled demonstration be postponed.

Organised labour intends embarking on the planned protest march to register their displeasure at current difficulties facing the economy.

The one-day demonstration that will have shops and businesses closed throughout the day, will be held simultaneously in all the regional capitals.

Kofi Asamoah claims he has received suggestions and appeals from government and other quarters to postpone their Thursday, July 24th nationwide demonstration.

Koku Anyidoho, former spokesperson for late President John Evans Atta Mills and other stakeholders pleaded with Organised Labour to postpone their scheduled demonstration to honour the memory of late President John Evans Atta Mills whose second anniversary happen to fall on the same day.

But the TUC boss told Kwami Sefa Kayi in an interview on Peace FM's morning show ‘Kokrokoo’ that there is no malice intended, only that the second anniversary of the passing of Prof. Mills ‘had escaped us’.

Kofi Asamoah said when his attention was drawn to the July 24th date being the day Prof. Mills passed onto eternal glory, he called for a meeting to decide whether or not to postpone the demonstration to a later date.

“Immediately I started talking about it, they grew wild on me and that tells you how people are so bent on expressing their anger...We are communicating this back to government that they should allow this (demo) to go on because it is good for our democracy,” he asserted.

Peace FM gathers the demonstration will commence at 8am at the Obra Spot, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra, through Farisco, to the Ministries and then to the Hearts of Oak Park.

“At the end of the protest march, we will submit a petition to the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations,” Mr. Asamoah added.

In a related development, government has made a last minute appeal to Organized Labour to rescind their decision.

Deputy Interior Minister, James Agalga, appealed to the organizers of Thursday’s demonstration to put off their intended nationwide demonstration by allowing "good reason to prevail…and act on their good conscience”.