The Trades Union Congress (TUC) says it is worried about a planned Bidders’ Conference by the Millennium Development Authority (MIDA) for the privatisation of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The TUC says the meeting, which is scheduled for Monday, 31st October, is “a betrayal of trust and demonstration of bad faith” by the Authroity.

According to the labour organisation, the Technical Committee which has been set up by Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, to deal with the issues raised by Public Utility Workers’ Union (PUWU) of TUC has not concluded its work.

The TUC said these in a letter addressed to the Chief of Staff and signed by its General Secretary, Yaw Baah.

Read below the letter:

The Steering Committee of the Trades Union Congress at its regular meeting held today, Wednesday, 26th October, 2016, deliberated on the privatization of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The Steering Committee expressed its disappointment and concern about the planned Bidders’ Conference by Millennium Development Authority (MiDA)scheduled for Monday, 31st October, 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 TUC has not concluded its work.

You may recall that at the meeting of the Technical Committee held at the Flagstaff House on 20th September, 2016it was agreed that the Bidders Conference would be postponed until there was a response from your office on the policy issues raised at the meeting. It was further agreed that this would be done within a timeframe of three weeks.

Regrettably, the three weeks have elapsed and there has not been any response from your office yet MiDA, whose key officials were present at the said meeting, is going ahead to hold the Bidders’ Conference on Monday, 31st October, 2016. 

This actionby MiDA undermines the process and the spirit of consultation.

The TUC hereby calls on you to use your 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.

We would like to state that, in line with the resolution passed at TUC 10th Quadrennial Delegates Congress held in August 2016 at KNUST, we will resist any attempt to privatize ECG.

It is our hope that you will take the necessary steps to stop the Bidder’s Conference.

Yours faithfully,

For: Trades Union Congress (Ghana)

Dr. Yaw Baah

Secretary General