Kofi Asamoah
Some Ghanaian workers have expressed disappointment in the leadership of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) for allowing government to coax it into settling for a meagre three percent of the 15 percent fuel price subsidies that the latter removed entirely in December last year.
Most workers are unhappy with the fact that the leadership of GTUC, after the hullabaloo it generated following the removal of the subsidies, coupled with the assurance it gave them, eventually agreed to a 20 percent restoration of the subsidies.
It would be recalled that the GTUC leadership summoned the media on two occasions to register their displeasure over the matter this year.
A civil servant, who gave his name as Bekoe, in an interview at the Ministries in Accra said: “So upon all these noise, GTUC only secured 20 pesewas reduction in the price of a gallon of petrol. They should be disappointed in themselves for damaging their integrity.”
According to him, he expected a complete restoration of the subsidies.
Amarh Amartey, a self-employed husband of two wives, also told this reporter: “I don’t think the people who led the negotiations on the part of workers understand the plight of workers. If the removal succeeded in adding GH¢1.00 to the price of a gallon of petrol, I see no reason why GTUC should be content with the 20 percent (GH¢0.20) restored. Anyway, it tells Ghanaian workers and those of us in the informal sector that our leaders just make noise to create an impression that they care about us but at the negotiation table, they assume the same attitude as politicians.”
Naadu Jennifer, an unemployed noted: “I had confidence in the GTUC to execute a good job regarding this fuel subsidy issue but I am disappointed. If they cannot fight for workers whose interests they claim they represent, then what happens to people like me?”
However, Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of GTUC, reacting to the sentiments expressed by some workers in a telephone interview yesterday said: “People do not understand what we are doing. We are only talking about a principle. You see, we never meant that the whole 15 percent fuel price subsidy should be restored.”
He said the National Tripartite Committee would meet to review the minimum wage of workers, among other things.
The GTUC at a press conference on January 10, 2012 called on government to restore the subsidies.
It noted that government’s failure to act was a clear indication that all the dialogue and consultations had failed to yield any fruitful results for workers and their families.
The steering committee of the TUC, at an emergency meeting held on Wednesday, February 1, 2012, decided that on Tuesday, February 7, this year it would hold a second round of labour meetings in all the ten regions of Ghana to adopt further actions to push government back into its shell.
The TUC said subsidies in fuel pricing constituted an important mechanism with which the State directly mitigated the effects of petroleum price increases on Ghanaians, most of whom earned very low income or had none at all.
By Samuel Boadi
