ECG staff boycott work at Somanya, blame Power Minister for attacks on them

Workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana have blamed the Minister of Energy Boakye Agyarko for the mob attack against staff of the company at Somanya in the Eastern Region.

According to the Deputy General Secretary of the Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) Richard Nyaba, a joint national executive council meeting of senior and junior staff of ECG has resolved workers of the company in the area should vacate post effective Monday June 5, 2017.

Some residents of Somanya attacked the ECG office in the town following their dissatisfaction with what they described as ‘outrageous’ utility bills. Following the incident there has been a joint national executive council meeting of senior and junior staff of the company to deliberate on the issue.

According to the workers there has been a trend in the attacks on ECG workers following similar situations at Dansoman, Roman Ridge, Teshie, Ashaiman, Kade and Kwabre. The ECG workers blamed the recent attack on their staff on statements by the Energy Minister on billing challenges.

Deputy General Secretary, Richard Nyaba says only firm assurances of the safety of ECG workers in Somanya would lead to a reversal of the directive.

He said “until they are assured of their safety, they should not get back to work. They should stay where they know they’d be safe.”

The emergency meeting directed that red flags be hoisted at all ECG operational areas for one week in solidarity with the workers at Somanya.