TUC REJECTS TARIFF INCREASES

The Ghana Trades Union Congress, GTUC has expressed worry about the ever increasing utility tariffs which do not match the rate of increases in incomes. 

GTUC as well fears that the emergency power producers are only coming in to take advantage of the energy crisis bedeviling the country and that the influx of the expensive emergency power generators would not have been necessary if the authorities had managed the existing installed capacity more efficiently. 

Addressing the Ashanti Regional Council of Labour in Kumasi, the Acting Secretary General of the GTUC, Dr. Yaw Baah noted with fear that the expensive emergency agreements will worsen the plight of Ghanaians as a result of a possible exorbitant charges that will come along with the services.

 He said, already utility consumers are paying heavily for the poor macro-economic performance, technical and operational inefficiencies of the service companies. 

Dr. Yaw Baah said as the representatives of workers, the GTUC is concerned about the ever increasing utility tariffs which are disproportional to the income levels of the people. 

He said the GTUC is very much aware that consumers rejected the proposed tariff increases by the utility service providers at the regional consultative fora on grounds that the companies lack the merit to make such demands in the face of the power crises and limited access to potable water for many Ghanaians. 

He said organized labour is worried that the government is only focusing on how to increase supply of energy with no policies to manage the increasing demand which has been identified as a major cause of the present crisis. 

GTUC, he said, is therefore asking the PURC to first address the issue of power and water availability and reliability before considering any major tariff review and gave the assurance that organized labour is ready to engage the Commission on the issues in the interest of all.