TEMA, Ghana, 6 December: The recent announcement of utility tariff adjustments by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for 2026 has triggered strong opposition from organised labour, particularly the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL).
The new tariffs include a 9.86% increase in electricity and a 15.92% rise in water charges across all consumer categories.
According to the GFL, the increments effectively wipe out the modest salary gains secured during recent negotiations, worsening the already harsh economic conditions faced by workers amid persistent inflation.
Speaking on Ahotor Fm’s Yepe Ahunu show on Saturday 6th December, the Secretary General of the Federation, Abraham Koomson, described the increases as unfair, arguing that government is “taking back with utility hikes what was given in wages,” referring to the 9% base pay adjustment agreed for 2026.
Mr. Koomson revealed that even the 9% salary increase was reluctantly accepted by many members of organised labour.
Leadership, he explained, had convinced workers to accept the deal based on assurances from government particularly the commitment to grant financial clearance for the recruitment of unemployed teachers and nurses who were left hanging by the previous administration.
“Organised Labour never anticipated such an immediate and painful tariff increment,” he added.
The PURC’s announcement last Tuesday followed the completion of the Multi-Year Tariff Review Order (MYTO) covering the period 2026 to 2030.
The new rates are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.
Abraham Koomson further questioned the relevance of labour’s representation on the PURC board, expressing frustration that the concerns raised by their representative, Dr. Kwabena Nyarkoh Otoo, were ignored in the final decision.
“Organised Labour is represented on the PURC board by not by any ordinary person but a seasoned economist Dr. Kwabena Otoo, Deputy Secretary General of the TUC. He has played key roles in minimum wage and base pay negotiations, yet he was sidelined in the determination of these tariff adjustments,” Mr. Koomson lamented.
He hinted that Organised Labour will hold a major press conference on Monday to outline their next steps and the collective measures they intend to pursue to address what he called an “obnoxious tariff increase.”
LISTEN TO ABRAHAM KOOMSON IN THE AUDIO BELOW:
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 🇬🇭