TUC threatens to resist privatisation of ECG

Daily Graphic Oct - 29 - 2016 , 14:35

The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) has expressed its commitment to resist any attempt by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) to privatise the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

It expressed its disappointment and concern over the planned Bidders Conference by the MiDA scheduled for Monday, October 31, 2016.

“The TUC considers this act on the part of MiDA as a betrayal of trust and demonstration of bad faith. This is because the Technical Committee which you set up to deal with the issues raised by Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) of the TUC has not concluded its work,” it said in a letter addressed to the Chief of Staff at the Flagstaff House.

Bidders conference

The letter, signed by its Secretary-General, Dr Yaw Baah, recalled that at the meeting of the Technical Committee held at the Flagstaff House on September 20, 2016, it was agreed that the Bidders Conference would be postponed until there was a response from the Chief of Staff’s office on the policy issues raised at the meeting.

It said it was further agreed that that would be done within a timeframe of three weeks.

Regrettably, it said, the three weeks have elapsed and there had not been any response from the Chief of Staff’s office, yet MiDA, whose key officials were present at the said meeting, was going ahead to hold the Bidders Conference.

“This action by MiDA undermines the process and the spirit of consultation,” it stressed.

Intervene

It, therefore, called on the Chief of Staff to use his good offices to stop MiDA from going ahead with the Bidders Conference and to ensure that prompt measures are taken to consider the options proposed by the union.