We are not fighting for ourselves - ECG workers

Workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in Tema have debunked assertions that they were fighting against the planned concession of the Company due to selfish reasons.

They replied their critics on Friday when they gathered at the Tema South District Office to climax their three days, three hours daily sit down strike and demonstration activity.

Mr Frank Adjetey Badu, National Secretary of the Junior Staff Union, said they were rather fighting for the ordinary Ghanaian as the planned concession if allowed would be unfavourable to all.

Mr Badu added that the workers were Ghanaians before becoming workers and that their relatives and friends as well as themselves would continue to consume electricity even if they stopped working at the ECG.

According to him, a similar concession was done in Uganda and other countries which has brought untold hardship on the people.

He questioned why government would not pay all its debts to the Company now to enable them provide better services to the people but was prepared to pay the debts over five years to the Company which would takeover.

He also wondered what would happen to the payment of the power being consumed by government currently, "will it be added to the current debt and paid within the agreed five years?".

Mr Badu assured workers that leadership of the Union would continue to resist the said concession.

He also called for some sensitization programme for workers on their fate after the concession.

The Junior Union Secretary said workers were aware of no retrenchment plans for the first five years of the takeover but have no clue of what would happen after those years.

The workers drawn from the Tema South District, Tema North District, Nungua District and Tema Regional Office clad in red apparel danced their hearts out as they ended the first phase of series of planned actions to resist government's plan to concede assets of the ECG to a private company for 25 years.