Grenada Today - The National Newspaper of Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique

The powerful Technical and Allied Workers Union (TAWU) is going ahead with plans to prepare its membership for a major showdown with the Keith Mitchell government in Grenada on the controversial 5% income tax, styled as the Reconstruction Levy.

According to President-General of the union, Senator Chester Humphrey, the union intends to get its members ready for the battle against the tax which government hopes to introduce by January 11.
In the face of threats by the unions, government has announced the short delay in implementation in order to invite other Social Groups in the country to engage in multi-partite talks on the tax measure.

Speaking to GRENADA TODAY late Tuesday, Sen. Humphrey accused government of failing to honour the procedures taken during a meeting between the parties last week Thursday to communicate the outcome of the Cabinet meeting of TUC proposals.

He said the agreement called for government to contact the Acting TUC President, Madonna Harford after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to brief her on the decision taken on the 5% tax., In addition, all parties engaged in the talks were expected to meet on Wednesday to hold further discussions.

Sen. Humphrey pointed out that the Mitchell government totally ignored the agreed procedures and the TUC was only informed about the outcome of the Cabinet meeting when it heard that a press release had been issued by the administration.

The TAWU boss said that while his union supports the inclusion of other groups in the tlaks on the 5% tax, it would have been good for government to inform the TUC about this since the umbrella trade union body would like to see the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) given an opportunity to partake.

According to Humphrey, it is clear to TAWU that government is bent on re-introducing income tax in the country through the back door.
In 1995, Prime Minister Mitchell campaigned on a platform of “no income tax” in Grenada and won the poll with a slender 8-7 margin over the then governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.