Organised Labour to negotiate salary increment amid new revenue bills

Organised labour has served notice the current standard of living will be central in salary negotiations this year.

Deputy Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) Joshua Ansah says factors such as inflation, taxes, cost of living, among others, will be highly considered when negotiations for working conditions begin in order to cushion the Ghanaian worker.

Speaking to TV3‘s Daniel Opoku in an interview on Monday, April 3, Mr Ansah expressed disappointment at the current government in introducing more taxes in the face of current economic conditions.

He said the TUC will keenly monitor what the taxes to accrue from the amended bills will be used for since their plea to stop the government from passing the three bills was not heeded to.

“Definitely, we are going to factor in anything that eroded our gains like inflation, like taxes, like living standard anything that makes our living standards not comfortable will be factored into our negotiations,” he said about negotiations for higher pay.

This comes in the wake of the passing of three revenue bills on Friday, March 31 by Parliament.

The bills are the Income Tax Amendment Bill, Excise Duty Amendment Bill, and Growth and Sustainability Amendment Bill.

The government is seeking to generate approximately GH¢4 billion per year to supplement domestic revenue.

But the Deputy Secretary General of the TUC said over the years successive governments have not accounted for the high taxes they impose on the citizenry, particularly workers.

“We know that taxes are for development but when we pay we don’t see the development that we envisage,” he lamented.

“We hope to see positive things this time round, otherwise it will be difficult for Ghanaians to be convinced to pay any additional taxes.”

He warned: “This time round we are not going to sit down and fold our arms. We are going to monitor what they use the taxes for so that we will hod them accountable for what they use our monies for.”