Union calls off national strike

The Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union (ICU) has joined organised labour to suspend Tuesday’s planned strike. A report on the MyJoyOnline site notes that the strike was called over government's intentions to suspend the introduction of VAT on electricity. However, the government has suspended plans to implement a 5% tax on power, following a public uproar that it will worsen the cost-of-living crisis. The value-added tax (VAT) was to be levied on domestic consumers of electricity and was introduced to boost government revenue after pressure from the International Monetary Fund. As previously reported in Legabrief Today, labour unions opposed the tax and announced nationwide protests against it this week. Authorities now say the tax has been put on hold until talks are held to resolve the dispute. The General Secretary of the ICU-Ghana, Morgan Ayawine, said ‘while we are suspending our action, 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.