TUC demo: It's wrong to hold the country to ransom - Kwabena Donkor

A ranking member of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament is appealing to workers not to hold the country to ransom.

Kwabena Donkor said labour could not resolve to go on demonstration when it was part of the decision-making body that increased the price of utilities.

Workers have been asked by their parent body, the Trades Union Congress, to lay down their tools on November 18, if government fails to reduce the hike in utility prices.

They have also been asked to begin series of coordinated nationwide demonstrations before the day of the strike.

The Labour unions in the Ashanti Region have already affirmed the decision taken by the TUC and have begun plotting to take to the streets.

Kwabena Donkor told Joy News, workers may have other reasons other than just tariff increases to want to go on strike and demonstrations.

"TUC sits on the Board of PURC. They know the numbers that went into the increases. They are not disputing the need to increase prices. So if they are on demonstration, there may be other grievances unrelated to the tariffs," he pointed out.

He said labour may have its own problems and are using the tariff increases as the rallying point for their action.

On the need for the increases, Donkor said the service providers will go on its knees if the increases were not approved.

He blamed the recent challenges on the failure by previous governments to implement the automatic adjustment policy, but cautioned the workers not to hold the country to ransom.