TUC issues 10-day ultimatum to gov’t over tariff hikes

Organized labour has given the Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC) and the government a 10-day ultimatum, beginning today, to slash the tariff increases to one-third.

The group says it will embark on a strike if the ultimatum is disregarded. It says the PURC, acting under the influence of government, had failed to implement an agreement reached by all stakeholders three years ago, to increase utility tariffs on a graduated manner to minimise the impact on consumers.

The workers said for purposes of political expedience, the PURC waited and only a few weeks ago slapped exorbitant tariff increases on consumers.

Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress, (TUC) Kofi Asamoah addressing a news conference at the GNAT Hall in Accra, Tuesday said while the Union was not opposed to the increment in utility tariffs, the level of increment was simply unacceptable.

According to him, the prevailing economic conditions were so harsh that citizens' standards of living would be worsened should the government maintain the 52 percent increment in water and 78.9 percent in electricity tariffs.

He wants the government to stop billing consumers with the new tariffs.