Labour demo: ‘It will be bad precedent to reverse hikes’

Senior Lecturer at the Political Science Department of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Edward Brenya, says President John Mahama must not give in to demands of Organized Labour on recent hikes in utility and petroleum prices.

Dr. Brenya said it will be a bad precedent for the President and his Cabinet to succumb to pressure to reverse the Energy Sector Levy and utility tariff increases.

On Wednesday workers nationwide demonstrated to register their displeasure over the Energy Sector Levies Act 2015, as well as hikes in electricity and water tariffs.

According to the labour unions all their meetings with government on the tariffs and levies have not been heeded to.

The workers want a reduction in utility tariffs, petroleum prices and removal of the energy levy.

According to the workers, they demonstrated because all their deliberations with the government did not yield any positive results.

Commenting on Wednesday’s demonstration on Adom FM’s “Burning Issues” , Dr. Brenya said the government must rather increase salaries of workers instead of reversing the tariffs and prices of petroleum products.

“The government must rather compensate workers by increasing their wages instead of reversing its policy else it will be bad precedent” Dr. Brenya stated.

Dr. Brenya said the demands by the workers are not likely to be met because he believes government thought through the policy before sending it to Parliament for approval.
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