TUC urges Government not to wait for factories to be closed down

Koforidua, July 1, GNA - The Trades Union Congress (TUC) on Thursday urged the government not to wait for factories and industries to shut down before taking action on the recent upward adjustment in electricity and water tariffs by the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC). Mr Seth Okyere-Dankwa, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the TUC, said should that unfortunate situation occur poverty levels would increase since many workers would be thrown out of employment. Speaking at an emergency meeting by the TUC in Koforidua he said when utility bills were increased, factories and industries would find it difficult to pay their bills.

Mr Okyere-Dankwa said even though the union had sent a resolution to the government it was yet to receive a response.

He appealed to union members to always put the nation at heart and help find solutions to the problems facing the country. The General Secretary of the General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union of TUC, Mr Emmanuel Armstrong Mensah, said the TUC was not against upward adjustment of tariffs and was asking for reduction to meet the pockets of the ordinary Ghanaian. He said the PURC should have consulted stakeholders before coming out with the increase in tariffs. Mr Mensah said people were already poor and could not make ends meet and therefore the bills would not favour the poor worker and any person in the country.

He said the TUC was only waiting for the World Cup season to end and if by that time the government had not met their grievances, they would go on a demonstration, adding that, it was the only language the government could hear. Nana Owusu Boatey, Desk Officer of the Ghana TUC, said the PURC did not want the country to move forward and the increase in bills would breed crimes like armed robbery and also corruption.