Government must brace itself for another protest by textile workers in the next few weeks as it drags it feet in addressing their grievances. The textile workers are provoked by the reaction from the Trade Minister and his Deputy to their recent demonstration and demand for the seizure and destruction of pirated wax prints.
The Deputy Minister Carlos Ahenkorah has reportedly indicated that government cannot grant the request of the textile workers to destroy pirated wax prints due to the huge amounts invested by the traders.
But the textile workers who have re-petitioned the Ministry are challenging the claims. Spokesperson for the Coalition of Textile Workers John Abeka told journalists in Accra that government must reconsider its decision.
“We heard the Minister saying these are people who are using their monies and so he considers the fact that their monies are going to be burnt once we seize the pirated wax prints and burn them. Why would you condone something that is wrong? If it’s wrong it’s wrong.
“These are smugglers. And so we don’t have to accept the fact that because they are crying we have to listen to them. Then let us go and listen to the people importing Indian hemp, Tramadol and cocaine because they are also doing business. If the Minister is saying the women are complaining their products and money get missing during the raid by the taskforce is he saying the Police, military men or custom officers are thieves? Such statements should not come from him,” he said.
Mr Abeka said suggestions by the Trade Ministry that leaders of the textile workers bused the youth of Nima and Ashaiman for the recent demonstration are also unfortunate.
“We also heard the Minister saying that the people that were demonstrating were not textile workers but people who were bused from Ashaiman and Nima to come and demonstrate. We believe such statement should not come from Honorable men. Because workers actually came on the streets to come and demonstrate.
“We think that addressing such issue doesn’t even matter who was demonstrating. We feel that the Minister must concentrate on the issue rather than the number that was demonstrating on the streets. If they don’t respond to us the next time they will see a larger number than they saw,” he stated.
The textile workers have planned to hit the streets again after the one month ultimatum given to government to allow the taskforce seize and destroy pirated wax prints expires.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
