The General Secretary of the National Federation of Labour, Abraham Koomson, has expressed his disagreement with the government and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) over the newly announced utility tariff adjustments. The PURC has approved a 9.8% increase in electricity tariffs and a 15.9% increase in water tariffs, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.
According to Mr. Koomson, the current cost of living and the harsh economic climate make the new utility hikes excessive. He argued that the increases will erode the recently secured 9% wage adjustment for workers, as the 20% cumulative rise in utility costs far outweighs the salary increment.
He raised these concerns during an interview on the Adekyee Mu Nsem morning show on Ahotor FM 92.3, hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu.
Mr. Koomson further stated that he was shocked and disappointed that the Trades Union Congress (TUC), a key arm of organised labour, chose to air its grievances publicly. He believes that the TUC leadership should have formally communicated its concerns to the Ministers of Finance and Labour Relations to request a tripartite meeting to address the issue. According to him, taking the matter to the press creates unnecessary tension and appears “chaotic and political.”
He emphasised the need for labour groups to be considerate with the incoming government, noting that many of the challenges confronting the unions stem from the previous administration. In his view, further dialogue and negotiation are essential to resolving the matter amicably.
In a related development, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has issued a strong warning to the government, declaring that it will resist any utility tariff increases that undermine the “meagre” 9% wage adjustment secured for workers in 2026.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, December 8, 2025, the General Secretary of the TUC, Joshua Ansah, said organised labour is deeply concerned about the impact of the proposed tariff hikes on workers, especially at a time when wages remain low and the cost of living continues to rise.
He stressed that the Congress is committed to protecting workers’ incomes and will not accept any tariff adjustments that nullify the wage increase expected in 2026.
“Leadership of the TUC wishes to assure Ghanaian workers that it will resist any tariff increases that will erode the meagre 9% government wage adjustment—unless government returns to the negotiation table to top up the 2026 wage adjustments,” he cautioned.
Mr. Ansah also questioned the timing of the tariff implementation, describing it as unreasonable. He noted that the new tariffs are set to take effect on January 1, 2026, even though the 9% salary increment will only reflect at the end of January.