Workers Warn: “No Pay Rise, No Bills!”
Ghana is bracing for a major showdown as the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Parliamentary Minority fiercely oppose the newly announced electricity and water tariff increases, describing them as a “double punishment” for already struggling citizens.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) last week approved significant upward adjustments in electricity and water tariffs, citing rising operational costs faced by utility providers. But the TUC insists that workers—whose wages have remained stagnant—cannot survive the combined blow.
In a blistering statement, the Union declared that Ghanaian workers have been “driven to breaking point,” warning that they will resist the utility hikes unless Government immediately increases wages to match the soaring cost of living.
“You cannot raise electricity and water tariffs simultaneously and expect workers to simply tighten their belts again,” the TUC protested. “Unless salaries rise accordingly, we are prepared to resist these increases with every lawful means.”
The Minority in Parliament backed the Union, calling the new tariffs “callous, insensitive, and economically reckless,” especially at a time when the country is battling inflation, high food prices, and rising unemployment.
“People have not even recovered from the last round of tariff adjustments,” the Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee said. “Now electricity goes up, water goes up, and wages remain flat? It is unconscionable.”
Small businesses and households say the increases could be devastating, especially for those who already endure erratic water flow and inconsistent power supply. Many fear that higher tariffs without improved services will simply worsen living conditions.
Civil society groups argue that while cost-reflective tariffs may be necessary, consumers cannot be made to pay for inefficiencies, mismanagement, and losses within the electricity and water sectors. Energy and water experts have also questioned whether enough has been done to reduce operational waste before imposing higher costs on the public.
Meanwhile, the TUC has summoned an emergency meeting and is considering nationwide demonstrations, insisting that “utility hikes must go hand in hand with wage hikes—or they will not stand.”
For millions of families already reeling from economic hardship, the utility increases look set to spark a long, bitter national debate.
