The Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL) has described as ill-timed and inappropriate, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s (PURC) proposed tariff increases.

Utility providers have advocated a 100 percent increase, citing the continuous depreciation of the Ghana cedi as the basis for their proposal.

But the Council argues that workers cannot afford to pay a “pesewa for the proposed increase.” “The leadership of Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL) and the entire workers of Tema wish to register our displeasure to the proposed utility tariff increases by the service providers, i.e ECG and Ghana Water Company and wish to reiterate that, we support the decision of TUC that the proposed tariff increase are ill-timed and inappropriate and for that matter, workers cannot afford to pay any pesewa for the proposed increase.

“The TDCL is surprised about the ill-timing of the proposed utility tariff increases as ECG, Ghana Water Company and PURC are perfectly aware that electricity power is virtually non-existent and most at times erratic, thus bringing a lot of economic discomfort and hardship on workers, industries, the community and our families,” the TDCL noted in a statement.

The Council said it did not expect the PURC to be insensitive and increase utility tariffs especially when Ghanaians are experiencing “frequent power outages and irregular flow of water.”

“We are all aware of the type of poor and shoddy services the Electricity and Water Companies are rendering to us; the unnecessary and rampant power outages (dumsor) as well as the frequently irregular flow of the taps every day.”

It therefore called on the PURC to reverse its decision or face their wrath.