Gov’t Is Treating Us With “Utter Contempt”

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Organized Labour Unions across the nation, will on Monday, November 18, 2013, embark on a nationwide strike action to register their displeasure with the government and the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) over the current utility tariff increments. The Trade Union Congress (TUC) decided to stage major demonstrations in all regional capitals in the country, during a crunch meeting on Monday. A statement released by the Labour Unions read; “We, therefore, have no option but to call on all the working people of Ghana, their families and the good people of Ghana to express their dissatisfaction about the failure on the part of government to reduce utility tariffs to affordable levels” The statement which was signed by seven organized labour groups: the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the Ghana National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Polytechnic Administrators Association of Ghana (POTAG), the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) and the Judicial Services Staff Association of Ghana (JUSSAG), also indicated that it cannot tolerate “such insensitive actions on the part of the so-called independent state institutions…” Speaking on Oman FM regarding the intended nationwide strike by the labour groups, Hon. Ursula Owusu, Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, slammed government over the turn of events on the labour front. According to her, government is treating Ghanaians with uttermost contempt for introducing new tariffs on utilities. Narrating some failures of the Mahama-led government, the Ablekuma West MP sought to find out why the PURC piled up arrears since 2010. She wondered why the Commission did not take precautionary measures to avert the current high increments in the utility tariffs. To her, government officials are only interested in their own wellbeing and further asserted that the incumbent government lack respect for Ghanaians. "They treat us with utter contempt.”

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana