The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) has sent a strong message to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) that it will not accept any upward adjustment in utility tariffs.
The utility companies Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and Volta River Authority, (VRA) as well as the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO) have called for a major tariff review, proposing more than a 100 per cent increment in tariffs for 2015.
GRIDCO is asking for 5.31 pesewas per Kwh from a current charge of 4.1 pesewas while the Volta River Authority is asking for approximately 31 pesewas per Kwh from 14.6 pesewas. Meanwhile, the ECG is also seeking a tariff of 35.5 pesewas per unit from 16.5 pesewas while the GWCL is asking for a raise from 1.78 to 4 cedis for 200 gallons.
According to the TUC, the utility providers must take into consideration the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian before reviewing the tariffs.
The Secretary-General of the TUC, Mr Kofi Asamoah said in an interview on PEACE FM morning show 'Kokrokoo', Monday that “there is a limit to which people can pay. Yes, you are asking for major upward adjustments, but since you are also employers, you must ask yourselves that when the labour unions come to make demand for a 200 per cent increment in worker’s salary, will you be willing to grant it?”
The TUC bemoaned that even though the utility providers keep increasing the tariffs there has been no improvement in the services they render.
"When the previous increases were granted, how reflective have they been on services? Yes you may be talking about a review but you must take into account what the workers can afford" Mr Asamoah added.
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