The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has said it is "outraged" by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) announcing a 9.8% and 15.9% increase in electricity and water tariffs, respectively.

TUC observed, "The increases 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."

The group sarcastically added, "This can only be described as the Government's New Year's gift to Ghanaians."

TUC noted this was not new.

"In 2025, the government granted a wage increase of 10% and increased electricity tariffs cumulatively by more than 18%," the group recalled.

TUC emphasised the upward adjustment in utility tariffs was an unpleasant surprise that impacted the significance of the recently announced improvement in base pay. 

"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. 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," the group lamented.

TUC doubled down, saying, "What Government has done is worse than robbing 'Peter to pay Paul'."

"In plain language Government has robbed the poor Ghanaian worker of the 9% wage increase it had agreed to implement on January 1, 2026," the group explained.

TUC suggested a resolution to the issue.

"Workers cannot accept these increases unless government comes back to the negotiating table to top up the wage increase for 2026," they said.

"Anything short of that, the TUC will mobilise workers to resist the implementation of these insensitive increases in utility prices," they warned.

The TUC statement concluded by announcing that on Monday, December 8, 2025, TUC/Organised Labour would hold a press conference on "these insensitive price increases.

"At the press conference, we wil outline measures to address this obnoxious tariff increase."