Tema labour council tells government to restore subsidies on petroleum products

The Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL) has given government up to Monday, January 23, to restore the subsidies on petroleum products otherwise members would hit the streets with indefinite demonstrations.

The ultimatum was arrived at during a special general meeting by members in Tema on Tuesday to deliberate on the price hikes in petroleum products, which was attended by Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Mr Francis Kofi Davoh, General Secretary of the Union of Industry, Commerce and Finance Workers.

Members said the withdrawal of the subsidies was unnecessary and therefore disagreed with the decision by government to do so, contending that the increase in the prices of petroleum products would bring untold hardships on the ordinary Ghanaian worker.

The TDCL commended the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for its stance on the matter at its recent meeting with government’s Economic Management Team, reiterating that the conditions that necessitated the introduction of subsidies by previous regimes were still valid.

For this reason, the Council thought the government was being insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians, if it was asking the good people of this nation to continue to bear the economic hardships following the withdrawal of the subsidies.

Members therefore urged government to continue to pay subsidies on petroleum products so that the ordinary workers could make ends meet.

Source: GNA