The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has once again reiterated its firm stance against the privatisation of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), a policy proposal that has been a point of contention between the government and labor unions for years.
In its recent submission on the 2025 budget, the TUC made it clear that its opposition to the privatisation of state-owned enterprises, particularly ECG, remains unchanged. This follows similar positions taken in 2017, when the union first voiced its resistance to the proposed privatisation under the Akufo-Addo administration.
The TUC has emphasized that it considers privatisation and private sector participation as essentially the same, rejecting any moves that would give private entities control over the country’s strategic assets. The union’s leaders highlighted that such steps would undermine the national interest, especially when it comes to key services like electricity supply, which impacts millions of Ghanaians.
“We will resist any attempt to privatise ECG,” stated the TUC, echoing the resolution passed at its 10th Quadrennial Delegates Congress in 2016. The TUC’s opposition stems from concerns that privatisation would lead to higher costs for consumers and job losses for workers within the sector, as well as a weakening of national control over vital services.
Despite these strong objections, the government appears intent on moving forward with the plan to involve private entities in the management of ECG. However, the TUC remains resolute in its conviction that the solution to ECG’s challenges lies not in privatisation, but in comprehensive reforms that remove political interference from the utility’s operations.
“We are resolute in our conviction that strategic reforms—especially removing politics from the management of ECG—are the only viable solution to the challenges facing the company. Our resolve to resist privatisation is at an all-time high,” the TUC stressed.
