The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has described the recent utility tariff hikes as unfair, warning that they erode the modest wage gains secured for workers in 2026.

Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu show on Saturday, December 6, 2026, the Secretary General of the Federation, Abraham Koomson, argued that the utility tariff increment effectively cancels out the 9% base pay adjustment agreed for public sector workers.

“Government is taking back with utility hikes what was given in wages,” Koomson stated.

He revealed that the 9% base pay adjustment was reluctantly accepted by the organised labour, given the country’s economic challenges.

He stressed that persistent inflation, coupled with rising utility costs, continues to squeeze households and undermine workers’ welfare.

PURC utility hikes undermine 9% salary increase – TUC decries

Koomson further lamented that organised labour’s representative on the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) board, Dr Kwabena Otoo, a seasoned economist and Deputy Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), was sidelined in the decision-making process on the tariff adjustments.

“He has played key roles in minimum wage and base pay negotiations, yet he was excluded in determining these tariff adjustments,” he asserted.

The PURC announced new tariffs for 2026, citing rising operational costs and the need to maintain reliable service delivery.

The adjustments include a 9.86% increase in electricity tariffs and a 15.92% rise in water charges across all consumer categories.

The new rates will take effect on January 1, 2026.

This follows a series of tariff reviews in recent years, often justified by the PURC as necessary to offset inflation, currency depreciation, and the high cost of fuel and water treatment.

However, these increments have consistently drawn criticism from labour unions and consumer groups, who argue that they worsen the cost of living crisis.

SA

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