Mahama is teasing workers with his 2 per cent salary deduction challenge

The Secretary of the Tema District Council of Labour is accusing President John Mahama of mocking public sector workers in the country with his challenge for a voluntary two per cent deduction in their salaries.

Mr Ebenezer Taylor said the president cannot ask suffering public workers to deduct two per cent from their salaries when the salaries he is paying them cannot even take them home.

The president over the weekend challenged critics to follow his good example by voluntarily deducting two per cent from their salaries to help in putting up more health care facilities across the country.

The president had early on announced a ten per cent deduction from his salary and those of his appointees to help in the building 1,600 Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds.

That announcement has provoked mixed reactions from the public.

Speaking on Asempa FM's Ekosii-sen programme, Monday, Ebenezer Taylor said the president is only "teasing" workers and adding insult to their injuries.

He explained the president cannot ask workers to make such sacrifices when his policies are adversely affecting the workers.

He said workers, hitherto were cushioned with fuel subsidies, utility subsidies but all that have been taken away by the president's own policies.

He added the new budget has introduced a 2.5 per cent Value Added Tax which will add to the suffering of the masses.

Taylor said the president, cannot in the face of these challenges admonish workers to donate two per cent of their salaries.

He stated the president and his appointees can afford a ten per cent deduction from their salaies because they take relatively higher salaries. 

He criticised the new taxes imposed, describing it as needless, especially when the government revenue collection activities were leaking.

Ebenezer Taylor said they are waiting patiently for their parent body- TUC to officially react to the new taxes.