The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has expressed outrage over the statement from the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission in which it announced a 9.8% and 15.9% increase in electricity and water tariffs respectively.
According to the TUC, the increases, which are to take effect from January 1, 2026, the very day the paltry 9% increase in the minimum wage and the base Pay by the government will also take effect, can only be described as the Government’s New Year’s gift to Ghanaians.
This is contained in a press release dated December 3.
“In 2025, the government granted a wage increase of 10% and increased electricity tariffs cumulatively by more than 18%. As workers bemoan the 9% wage increase for 2026 in the light of the prevailing cost of living, the least they expected was for the government to spring a surprise on them with increases in prices of utilities,” the TUC said in the statement signed by its General Secretary, Joshua Ansah.
“This increment has completely eroded the 9% wage adjustment for 2026. Clearly, government is demonstrating its insensitivity to the daily struggles of workers and Ghanaians. What Government has done is worse than robbing “Peter to pay Paul”,” Mr Ansah wrote.
“In plain language Government has robbed the poor Ghanaian worker of the 9% wage increase it had agreed to implement on January 1, 2026. Workers cannot accept these increases unless government comes back to the negotiating table to top up the wage increase for 2026. Anything short of that, the TUC will mobilise workers to resist the implementation of these insensitive increases in utility prices,” the TUC warned.
It announced that, on Monday, 8 December 2025, the TUC/Organised Labour will hold a press conference on these insensitive price increases.
“At the Press Conference, we will outline measures to address this obnoxious tariff increase,” the General Secretary stated.
