Organized labor demands faster end to energy crisis in Ghana

Organized labor urged government of Ghana here on Friday to take urgent steps to end the current energy crisis in the country.

They said the power crisis now threatens the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of Ghanaians and must be dealt with before it turns into a major social and political crisis.

"The energy crisis has become the greatest threat to economic, social and political stability in our country. It must end now," Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) noted in his address at the national May Day celebration at the Black Star Square.

He said thousands of Ghanaian workers have been denied their jobs and livelihoods by the 'dum-sor' (local parlance for constant power outages), expressing fear that many more were likely to suffer the same fate as the crisis persists.

According to him, organized labor viewed the energy crisis, "which started three years ago and is now becoming an economic crisis," with prime concern because the untold effects it has on businesses and industry is putting job security of Ghanaians at a great risk.

Asamoah however conceded that the crisis was the result of long period of neglect. "We have failed over the years to invest in our power infrastructure bequeathed to us by earlier leaders as a collective asset. We must do better-together to change the situation."

"You must provide the leadership that will lead us out of this severe crisis. We agree with you that we should not just manage the crisis, but fix it. But it is taking too long to fix it," he urged the president.

The theme for this year's national celebration is: "Addressing the Energy Crisis, the Role of Organized Labor," with President Mahama as Special Guest of Honor.

While acknowledge the efforts by the government to procure power badges to deal with the energy crisis in the short term, the TUC Secretary General urged for value-for money in all the deals.

President John Dramani Mahama assured that the power crisis was temporary; assuring that it would be dealt with to soon look like a bad "nightmare from which we have awoken."

He said the business community was aware of the temporary nature of the energy crisis and so most of them were still expanding their manufacturing base in Ghana.

The president acknowledged that although there have been an increase in the investment inflow into the country, with the attendant job creation, these businesses and industries cannot operate without adequate supply of power.

"As I said during my state of the Nation Address in parliament, we are not going to manage this energy crisis; we shall fix it," the president assured.

He assured Ghanaians, especially, artisans such as barbers, hairdressers welders, electric welders among others that he shared in their challenges, and in their pain" adding; "I am aware that sharing in your challenges and your pain alone is not enough so I take responsibility for the power crisis and I pledge to fix it," the president assured. Endi