ECG privatization: Workers to remain resolute on decision

The National Secretary of the Junior Staff Union of the Electricity Company of Ghana, ECG, Frank Adjetey Badu, says workers will not change their decision on government’s planned concession of ECG.

According to him, workers are not fighting for their own interest but that of the entire country.

Mr. Badu who joined workers to demonstrate in the Tema region stated that a monopoly under the government has not yielded the necessary results, how much more under a private monopoly.

Staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana, ECG, in all eight district offices in the Tema Region yesterday turned away clients who visited their offices as they embarked on a three-hour demonstration from 8 to 11am against the government’s planned privatisation of the Company.

Workers clad in red apparel, held placards with inscriptions such as “Stop ECG concession”, “private sector participation! Where is Aqua Vitens Rand from South Africa? A lesson to be learnt Mr President”. “Politicians stop dumping substandard meters on ECG”.

Mr. Badu said although they have met with the government in connection with the concession, they have not received any favourable response.

Mr.Badu stated that should the government refuse to heed to their warnings, they will take another action.

The Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) declared a three-day demonstration nationwide to back their demands.

The move is to buttress their resolve to resist the privatisation and also to force the government to review the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact which seeks to cede the ECG to a private investor for a period of 25 years.