Suspend killer tariffs now – Wilson Agana

The leadership of the Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and workers in the Tema Industrial Area are gearing up for a massive demonstration over government’s failure to reduce utility tariffs.

Thousands of workers are expected to demonstrate on the streets of Tema to press home their demand for a reduction in the exorbitant utility tariffs.

They have also threatened to lay down their tools if government remained adamant.

The TDCL, in a letter addressed to Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Haruna Iddrisu and copied to the Chief of Staff, Ministries of Energy and Power, as well as the Secretary General of TUC, stated that “the TDCL and the entire workers of Tema wish to register our displeasure with the high electricity and water bills being slapped on workers every month.”

It said the high utility tariffs were unbearable for industries and employees, adding that that had increased the operational cost of most industries in Tema to astronomical levels.

While the jobs of most employees are on the line, some companies are considering shutting down, they indicated.

Government is expected to immediately resume negotiations with TUC and Organised Labour to address the anomalies to restore peace and harmony to working class and industries.

The letter, dated July 4, 2016, was signed by Messrs Wilson Agana and Ebenezer Kodwo Taylor, Chairman and Secretary respectively of the TDCL.

It said recently government engaged TUC and Organised Labour in a discourse on the nationwide demonstration which was held as a result of the high utility tariff increases, but that ended inconclusively.

Mr. Agana, in an interview, disclosed that TDCL cannot afford any further increase in utility tariffs in the midst of the hardship and power outages.

As workers are battling with the electricity power outages (dumsor) and also the irregular flow of water, we don’t expect the utility service providers to be insensitive to add to our woes by attempting to slap this ill-timed utility tariff increase on us.”

Ghanaians have been up in arms against the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over the high utility bills.

There have been reports that the new billing system implemented by the ECG had led to the collapse of several businesses.