The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has declared its intention to actively resist any move to privatise the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), with its Deputy Secretary-General warning that organised labour stands ready to challenge what it describes as an ideologically driven agenda dressed up as reform.
Dr. Kwabena Otoo delivered the warning on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme, arguing that proposals linked to ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) discussions represent a renewed push to hand the state power distributor to private interests rather than a genuine response to performance concerns.
“This is simply another attempt to complete the privatisation process,” Dr. Otoo said.
He challenged the justification for private sector involvement directly, pointing to ECG’s own revenue trajectory as evidence that the company is moving in the right direction. ECG collected around GH¢900 million in 2024, he said, and now brings in over GH¢2 billion, a trajectory he argued undermines the case for ownership change.
Dr. Otoo further questioned whether Ghana’s history of privatisation exercises offered any reason to expect a different outcome, describing past examples as falling short of delivering meaningful benefits for Ghanaians. He characterised the current push as motivated by ideology rather than an honest assessment of ECG’s operational progress.
He confirmed that unions are fully prepared to deploy all available means to halt the process, signalling that the government could face sustained organised resistance if it proceeds with private participation plans for the electricity distributor.
