Workers call for the withdrawal of salary increase

Koforidua (Wastern Region) - The New Juaben District Council of Labour has called on the government to withdraw the 20 per cent wage increase across board for civil servants and other categories of workers, to allow the Tripartite Committee to come out with a realistic living wage for workers. According to the council, in view of the high cost of living and the coming into force of the new VAT Act, which had increased the VAT rate to 12.5 per cent, workers needed a living wage to cope with the hardship. This was contained in a resolution adopted at the council's meeting in Koforidua and presented to the Eastern Regional Minister, Miss Patience Adow, on Thursday. The resolution called on the President to withdraw the Presidential assent on the VAT Act since the increase would further worsen the plight of Ghanaian workers.

It recalled a previous resolution adopted by the council on April 26, calling for "realistic salary to reflect present living condition." It further appealed to the government to review its economic policies to give greater attention to the problems facing agriculture and the manufacturing industries.

The resolution further urged the government to take measures to stop the free fall of the cedi and put a mechanism in place to regulate the outflow of convertible currencies.

The Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Co-ordinting Council (RCC), Mr Fred Essilfi, who received the resolution on behalf of the Minister, commended the workers for the peaceful manner in which they presented the resolution.