The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) will go on strike today, Wednesday, January 5, 2022, to demand improved working conditions.
According to the union, the government has neglected to pay professional development allowances that have been owing to them since 2020.
In an interview with Citi News, Mark Dankyira Korankye, the union’s General Secretary, stated during a news conference on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, that the government must take proper actions to address their issues as soon as possible.
He said it was the only way they would be able to return to work.
“Government must with immediate effect stop the naked discrimination against TEWU and pay members their continuous professional development allowance.”
Mr. Mark Dankyira Korankye further said that the strike applies to all of its members and that they must all follow the instruction.
“All our members, both in the schools, district, and regional offices are going to withdraw our services until an amicable settlement of this matter is reached”.
“It was resolved, among others that if by the close of the year 2021, the professional development allowances had not been paid to the non-teaching staff of the Ghana Education Service, then as schools reopen for the last phase of the second semester, our members would withdraw their services to push home our demand of the payment of this professional development allowances,” he insisted.
The last strike threat issued by the organization was in May 2021. That threat was made in response to poor working conditions.
The union’s latest strike occurred on January 13, 2022, however, the strike was called off by the union’s national leadership on January 18.
At the time, the TEWU said that postponing the strike would allow for good-faith discussions with the administration.
Since June 2019, TEWU has been in discussions with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission about revising the working conditions of unionized public university employees.
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