TEMA, Ghana, 9 December: The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) is urging Trades Union Congress (TUC) to seek an emergency National Tripartite Committee meeting to address the newly approved utility tariff increases, insisting that press conferences alone will not resolve the concerns of workers.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) last Tuesday announced new tariff adjustments, approving a 9.86% increase in electricity and a 15.92% increase in water for all customer categories. The reviewed tariffs, which take effect on January 1, 2026, follow the completion of the Multi-Year Tariff Review Order (MYTO) process for the 2026–2030 period.
In response, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) held a press conference on Monday, December 8, calling on government to suspend the tariff hikes. But the GFL believes this approach is inadequate and risks causing unnecessary tension.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Adekyee Mu Nsem on Tuesday, December 9 with host Citizen Kofi Owusu, the GFL Secretary-General, Abraham Koomson, said only a coordinated and formal engagement with government can bring lasting solutions.
“This is not about press conferences,” he stressed.
“We should write officially to the Ministers of Employment and Finance and call for an emergency tripartite meeting to deliberate collectively on the way forward. We all issued statements last week opposing the tariff increments. Holding another press conference only creates confusion and gives room for sensationalism in the media.”
Tariff Increment Not Part of Base Pay Negotiations
Government and Organised Labour recently agreed on a 9% Base Pay increment effective January 2026. However, Mr. Koomson pointed out that the tariff increases were never discussed at the negotiation table.
“This new tariff adjustment was not part of our discussions during the Base Pay negotiations,” he said.
“What government is doing undermines us and creates the impression that we are not representing our members well. We need to meet the Ministers to ask why they are doing something entirely different now.”
He cautioned that prematurely resorting to press conferences risks igniting public anger rather than encouraging structured dialogue.
“If they fail to respond to our official letters, then press conferences can come in. But going public at this early stage only incites the public and gives the NPP an opportunity to twist the issue against government.”
Workers Shouldn’t Bear the Cost of Legacy Debts
Mr. Koomson acknowledged that the current administration inherited significant debt in the energy and utilities sector, including the challenges facing the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
However, he insisted that workers should not bear the brunt of mismanagement they did not cause.
“The Ghanaian worker cannot be made to pay for debts we did not create,” he said.
“It is even more worrying that the 9% Base Pay increment and the new tariff adjustments all take effect in January. It is like robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
NPP Capitalizing on TUC’s Press Conference
The GFL Secretary-General expressed concern that the TUC’s press conference has already been exploited by the Minority in Parliament.
“The same people who created the mess in the utility sector are now capitalizing on the TUC’s press conference to attack government,” he said.
“This is why I believe the approach was wrong. We should not give them the platform.”
Call for Accountability
Mr. Koomson also called for accountability and possible prosecution of individuals responsible for the accumulated debt in the energy and utilities sector.
“Those involved in creating these debts must be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
“They caused this mess, and they should not be allowed to make political capital out of it.”
He reiterated that constructive engagement not public confrontation remains the most effective path to addressing workers’ concerns.
LISTEN TO ABRAHAM KOOMSON IN THE AUDIO BELOW:
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 🇬🇭