TUC Blasts Government Over Tariff Hikes, Says Move Is “Worse Than Robbing Peter to Pay Paul”

Top up 9% salary increase or withdraw new utility tariffs – TUC to government.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has vehemently condemned the recent hikes in electricity and water tariffs, labeling the increases as reckless, deeply unfair, and completely detached from the realities facing ordinary workers, describing the move as, in its words, “worse than robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

In a stern statement signed by Secretary-General Joshua Ansah, the TUC condemned the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for approving a 9.8% increase in electricity tariffs and a 15.9% rise in water charges, both of which take effect on January 1, 2026. The union said the decision is not only insensitive but also a clear indication that government has turned a blind eye to the daily struggles of workers.

According to the TUC, the timing of the tariff adjustment is deeply troubling. The increases are set to kick in on the same day the 9% minimum wage and base pay adjustment begins, an increment workers had already described as inadequate even before the new tariffs were announced.

The union stressed that the increased utility charges have completely swallowed the wage review meant for 2026. It described the situation as a deliberate act that strips away the meagre gains workers were expecting. 

The statement repeated that government has “robbed the poor Ghanaian worker of the 9% wage increase,” insisting that the decision is worse than the proverbial “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

The TUC recalled that in 2025, workers received a 10% pay increase while electricity tariffs rose by more than 18% in the same period. With the cost of living still soaring, food prices, transportation, rent, and basic necessities, the union says it expected a more thoughtful approach from government, not another round of policies that punish the very people keeping the economy afloat.

Describing the new tariffs as a “New Year’s burden” wrapped in policy language, the TUC argued that workers have once again been left to carry the heaviest load. It accused government of consistently shifting its financial shortcomings onto workers instead of addressing inefficiencies within the utility sectors.

The union warned that it will not accept the new tariffs unless government returns to the negotiation table to revise the 2026 wage adjustment upward. It cautioned that failing to do so will force organised labour to mobilise workers across the country to resist what it terms an “obnoxious, insensitive, and economically reckless” decision.

A major press conference has been scheduled for Monday, 8 December 2025, where TUC and Organised Labour are expected to announce concrete measures aimed at pushing back against the tariff hikes.

The union reaffirmed that it will not sit by while policies that worsen poverty and erode workers’ dignity become the norm, stressing that the Ghanaian worker deserves better than being short-changed year after year.