ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC):
THE GRENADA Trades Union Council (TUC) has called on the Keith Mitchell government to "immediately withdraw" the controversial five per cent levy on workers' salaries.
The TUC adopted a resolution at a special convention on Saturday and warned that it would stage a month of protest action to force the government to meet its demand.
The Grenada Government announced the levy during the budget presentation earlier this year in a bid to recover the shortfall in revenues following the devastation caused by hurricanes Ivan and Emily over the past year.
But seven of the eight affiliated unions voted for the TUC to begin mobilising workers and other organisations for industrial action.
The resolution said that "January 2006 be declared a month of protest were the Government to refuse to withdraw the levy by December 31, 2005".
The TUC said its position would also be communicated to the Mitchell government, all social organisations and political parties.
"We've tried on several occasions to dialogue with the government. TUC went as far as submitting position paper to the Ministers of Labour and Finance and we asked for dialogue with them and they haven't even acknowledged receipt of the position paper," said TUC's President Madonna Harford.
"Our membership was demanding that we take some form of action as it relates to the five percent and we're in full support of the resolution," said Marvin Andall, president of the Grenada Union of Teachers.
Government, in its 2005 budget, had announced a five percent deduction from workers' salaries but has since amended the contribution exempting the first EC$1,000 (US$370).
There has been no response as yet from the government to the TUC's position.
