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Divisional Secretary for the Senior Staff Union of the Electricity Company of Ghana at Cape Coast in the Central Region, Samuel Martey has called on the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) to withdraw its directive to the ECG.

The PURC has directed the ECG to suspend its new billing software to ease the electricity pressures on consumers.

According to the Commission, the new billing software will burden consumers, particularly when the users of the prepaid meters complain bitterly about the high electricity bills.

However, the Unionised Workers of ECG have given a seven-day ultimatum to the Commission to withdraw the directive or else they will embark on a strike.

The General Secretary of the Public Utility Workers Union, Ato Bondzie Quaye cautioned the Commission if the directive still holds.

Speaking in an interview with sit-in host, Nana Yaw Kesse on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' Tuesday morning, Mr. Martey complained about the harsh treatments that their workers have been undergoing since the PURC made such directive.

According to him, the workers are sometimes subjected to torture by the users of prepaid meters even when they are executing the official duties.

He further noted that some consumers chase out the workers and this is making work unpalatable for the ECG employees.

He also told the host that the new billing software is efficient and will help to improve the billing system so as to relieve electricity consumers.

Mr. Martey attempted to allay the fears of the consumers, claiming the new billing software is not a bad initiative as the PURC wants Ghanaians to see.

"There was a pilot test before the new billing software was approved. We piloted it in Accra and other three regions. So it is not true that we didn't pilot it."

He added that if the PURC does not withdraw its directive, then he or the workers of ECG will be left with no option than to apparently comply with the intended action by the Unionized Workers of ECG.

"If I will send someone to work and they will be beaten, what do we do? Go and work and you will be tormented, what do we do?"

Also touching on the issue, the Member of Parliament for Effia, Joseph Cudjoe blamed President John Mahama and his government for the high electricity bills.

Hon. Joseph Cudjoe explained, during an interview on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo', that the high billing is as a result of the huge levies on electricity introduced by the government.

He threw his weight behind the Unionized Workers of ECG and called on the PURC to heed the calls by the workers to withdraw the directive.

To him, the Commission should blame the government and not the ECG for the high bills.

But in a quick riposte to the claims by the MP, the Deputy Power Minister John Jinapor told host Nana Yaw Kesse Tuesday morning that the street light levy is to help provide power to Ghanaians.

He stated that it is safer to have street lights and so if government takes only 10% street light levy; it is not to overburden Ghanaians but to cater for the power consumption rate.