The Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) of the Trades Union Congress has pushed back against what it describes as growing threats and accusations directed at staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over recent power outages.
In a statement issued on April 27, the Union said it is concerned about public comments from some political, state and social actors who have called for the transfer or dismissal of ECG staff, alleging sabotage.
PUWU rejected those claims, insisting that the outages are not the result of deliberate actions by employees but are rooted in long-standing technical and infrastructural challenges.
According to the Union, ECG workers continue to operate under difficult conditions, including shortages of essential equipment, while striving to maintain electricity supply across the country.
It pointed to years of underinvestment in the power distribution system, which it said has left the company without critical materials such as transformers, poles and cables needed to ensure stable service.
The Union noted that the need for investment has already been acknowledged at the highest levels of government. It referenced recent comments by President John Mahama and the Minister of Energy and Green Transition on efforts to procure additional transformers to ease pressure on the system.
PUWU also highlighted specific regional challenges. In the Ashanti Region, it said power outages persist because demand exceeds the capacity of the existing bulk supply points, while a planned fourth facility to ease the burden has yet to be completed.
In the Volta and Oti Regions, the Union said growing demand has outpaced the capacity of transmission lines, leading to voltage fluctuations and frequent outages, particularly during peak periods. It called for an upgrade of the transmission network to address the problem.
Against this backdrop, the Union said it is “deeply troubling” that some individuals have singled out engineers and other staff for blame, in some cases publicly naming them as saboteurs without evidence.
It warned that such actions expose workers to possible attacks and ridicule, especially as many staff are required to respond to faults in communities at all hours.
The Union said the threats are already affecting morale and could undermine operations if not addressed.
PUWU urged political actors and the public to use appropriate institutional channels to raise concerns, rather than making public accusations against staff.
It also served notice that it would take steps to protect its members from what it described as undue political interference.
The Union reaffirmed its support for ECG workers, stating that their professionalism and integrity remain central to the organisation’s work.
