The Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union, in collaboration with organized labor, has opted to postpone its planned strike scheduled for February 13, 2024.
This decision comes in response to the government’s commitment to temporarily halt the implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity, with the aim of engaging in discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The General Secretary of the ICU-Ghana, Morgan Ayawine, said at a press briefing, “We are equally suspending our action, and we will be on red alert.”
“The message we are sending to our members out there is that it is a victory, a victory not only for our members but for Ghanaians,” he said.
The Union emphasized its belief that the government’s choice to suspend the taxation on electricity should be definitive and not subject to further changes or reconsideration.
“We want to believe that it is a suspension in perpetuity. So our members should not feel that we have been defeated,” he said.
Organized Labor convened on Friday, February 2, to deliberate on their ultimatum to the government regarding the withdrawal of the tax on electricity, set to expire in January 2024.
The purpose of the planned demonstration was to pressure the government into retracting the introduction of the electricity tax, which has exacerbated the financial struggles of Ghanaians and heightened their challenges within the country.
In a bid to convey a resolute stance to the government, the leadership of Organized Labor urged all workers across the nation to wear red attire to work starting Monday, February 5.
This symbolic gesture was intended to send a powerful message indicating their unwavering commitment to resist the imposition of VAT on electricity until the government relented on its decision.