The Ministry of Power will today meet with the leadership of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over the two-day nationwide strike by the workers who are protesting the government’s concession plan for the company.
Workers of the power distributor today, September 2, laid down their tools to push government to back down on the ECG concession plan that seeks to lease the management of the company to a private entity for the next 30 years.
A statement issued by the PUWU Thursday after a meeting over the matter, directed all workers of the ECG to lay down their tools on Friday and Monday to protest the plan which is being championed by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA).
According to PUWU, MiDA has shown “gross disrespect, lack of transparency and lack of trust” in the processes regarding the concession hence the sit down strike.
“All staff across ECG operational areas are to report to work but no official duties will be carried out today 2nd September, 2016 and Monday 5th September 2016,” the statement said but asked that workers attend to emergency cases and critical areas like hospitals theatres and security installations.
The workers of ECG have claimed the concession plan, which the government say has reached an advance stage, has a roadmap that would see a significant number of workers being laid off.
They have thus been demanding from the MiDA, a review of that component of the concession but MiDA has since rejected the claim, and pointed out the whole concession will not in any way have negative impact on ECG as is being claimed.
In the last few months, workers of the ECG have been holding a series of protests across the country. Just last week, the workers held laid down their tools for a day to push government to stop the concession.
Speaking on Onua FM’s Yen Sempa morning show Friday, National Divisional Chairman ECG Workers Union, Benedict Kanosey, said the government has not been truthful with the workers of the company and Ghanaians in general.
He said the Power Ministry has invited them for a meeting following the declaration of the strike.
Mr Kanosey also revealed they will meet on Monday at the ECG training school at Tema to discuss the next line of action to take.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana
Twitter @steviekgh_TV3