PURC to sanction ECG workers over strike

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) will sanction workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) who embarked on a nationwide strike recently over government’s plan to privatise the state power distributor, Nana Yaa Jantuah, director of public relations and external affairs of the PURC has said.

The Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) last week directed workers of the ECG not to attend to official duties until government backs down on its concession plan. PUWU argued that the action is in protest to what it describes as a disrespectful attitude showed them by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) regarding the concession plan.

The strike action has left several customers of ECG stranded with some sleeping in the dark for days because they could not have access to prepaid units.

Speaking in an interview with Prince Minkah, host of the Executive Breakfast Show on Class 91.3 FM on Tuesday, 6 September, Ms Jantuah said: “What they (ECG workers) are doing is against the law and it is also disadvantaging consumers so we will sanction them according to what the laws say.”

She added: “The laws prescribe so many sanctions so the commission will decide which one is punitive enough and we will give it to them. The commission will decide.” “…Ours is the protection of the consumer…the consumers don’t even know why you are on strike. I believe the strike was because you (ECG workers) want public sympathy and public support but the way it has been done, you are not getting any public support because people slept in darkness because they couldn’t purchase unit. It was [also] the beginning of the month where prepaid customers purchase their units. The PURC is saying that: ‘Do you go on strike for the consumer to suffer because you are dissatisfied … knowing I the consumer, who has a contract with you will suffer?”