"Aluta" against water privatisation

Workers of Tema on Thursday said they would demonstrate on July 31 against the government's decision to privatise the Ghana Water Company. The decision was taken at a general meeting of Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL) after a lengthy deliberation on the water issue.

They were of the view that if water is privatised, it could bring hardship to Ghanaians and appealed to the government to re-consider its stand on the issue. The workers took turns to make their contributions and wondered why the government remained adamant to the objection of the majority of Ghanaians whom the policy would affect.

They said instead of the government looking on to the privatisation of water, there is the need to address the water wastage in the system and alleged that about 55 percent of water goes to waste. The workers said there is nowhere in the world where water has been privatised. ''The leadership of the country has been pushed to take the action because the foreign participants have their selfish interest".

They said it was the duty of government to ensure that the public had water for their daily activities but if this has not been achieved, there is no need to worsen the plight of the people by going private. Touching on the crime prevention fund instituted by TDCL to assist the police in their work, Mr Harry F. Pieterson, Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the TUC announced that, since April this year when the fund was launched, 47 million cedis has been realised. Each worker is contributing 1,000 a month for 12 months towards the fund.