<<Print>>

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has come under various attacks following their ultimatum to resort to an industrial action if government and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) do not make efforts to reduce the recent increment in utility tariffs. TUC, at a press conference Tuesday, issued a 10-day ultimatum to PURC and government to cut utility tariffs by a third or face a nationwide strike. According to them, government and the PURC should divide the 78.9% increment in electricity and 50% increment in water into three parts; and introduce the increments 1/3 in every year. This is because, the percentage increment is too high and will drain the pocket of the ordinary Ghanaian. TUC also accused the PURC of failing to implement a systematic tariff increment agreed three years ago at a meeting but rather went ahead to pile huge tariff increases on workers. Adding his voice to this controversy, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joseph Ade Coker accused the TUC of being part of the �so called problem that they (TUC) are talking about�. Contributing to panel discussions on �Kokrokoo� programme, Ade Coker said TUC took part in a stakeholders meeting that led to the 78.9% increment in electricity and 50% increment in water. He said if the labour movement was against the move to increase the utility tariffs, they could have withdrawn or walked out of the meeting but so far as they sat in, he feels their current stand is �dishonest�. And so �you (TUC) cannot come from the river and tell us something different. It is better to build strong institutions than to build strong men. TUC is part of the problem, you are part of an institution and now you turn around and come and give an ultimatum. TUC is being dishonest�they could have withdrawn. The ultimatum is neither here nor there; they were part of it�now they should go back and dialogue and not shift everything on government.�