BY PETER OKUTU
ABAKALIKI — THE Joint Action Committee of Trade Unions, JACTU, of Ebonyi State College of Education, yesterday, gave a 21-day ultimatum to Ebonyi State government to put on hold the implementation of the new tax regime which began last month.

The union threatened that any contrary action by the government would lead to an industrial action.

JACTU explained that out of the 22 colleges of education in the country, only Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo, was being forced by its management to pay the new tax law under the guise of implementing the Consolidated Salary Structure for staff of the institution.

The Chairman of JACTU, Ebonyi State College of Education chapter, Mr. Esheya Greg, who described the new tax law as obnoxious and outrageous, appealed to the state government to “negotiate on the matter since the tax law itself provides for negotiation between the employer and the employee to enable them agree on a favourable tax regime.

“Our plea on this matter fell on deaf ears and to our rude shock we received our September salaries and discovered that the new tax system had been implemented.

“The increment we are talking about here is not 50 percent, 100 percent or even 300 percent increment.

“We are talking about 500 to 800 percent increment over and above our normal tax figures.

“JACTU held its Congress on October 14, at the College Auditorium, and issued a 21-day ultimatum to the management of the college and government of Ebonyi State to reverse the obnoxious new tax regime.”