<<Print>>

Organized labour has warned of industrial unrest, if the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) goes ahead to increase utility tariffs.

The workers said the timing for the proposed utility tariff increases was wrong, especially as the electricity power “is virtually non-existent and most times erratic, thus, bringing a lot of economic discomfort and hardship to workers, industries, the community and families.”

The Chairman for the Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL), Mr. Wilson Agana, in an interview with The Ghanaian Times on Thursday, said already, workers were battling with electricity power outages and irregular flow of water from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) respectively.

He said some industries were operating below capacity, compelling some employers to shut down their plants and lay off workers.

Mr. Agana said Ghanaian workers were expecting the PURC to consider the country’s economic situation in the determination of tariffs for utilities.

He stressed that TDCL and workers of Tema supported the TUC that proposed tariff increases was “ill-timed and inappropriate and for that matter, workers cannot afford to pay any pesewa of the proposed increase.”

According to Mr. Agana, consumers and industries were spending extra income on the acquisition of power generating plants and alternative sources of power just to keep their businesses running.

He stressed that workers would resist any attempt by PURC to increase tariffs of utilities, and that they would decide the next line of action if PURC goes ahead and increases the tariffs.