The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has announced an immediate strike to demand better working conditions for its members as tertiary schools resume.
According to the union, the strike among others is in demand for payment of ‘Continuous Professional Development Allowance’ that has been in arrears for the past few months, adding that until the concerns are addressed its members would not return to work.
General Secretary of TEWU, Mark Denkyira Korankye, speaking at a press conference emphasized that government must with immediate effect stop the discrimination against TEWU and pay members their continuous professional development allowance.
“All members of TEWU, both in the schools, districts, and regional offices are to withdraw their services until an amicable settlement of this matter is reached.
In our previous National Executive Council Meeting held in December, it was resolved among others that if by the close of the year 2021, the continuous professional development allowances had not been paid to the non-teaching staff, 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 stated.
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He reiterated that TEWU members include bursars, cooks, cleaners, administrators, accountants, auditors, among others, and therefore the strike will only be called off if the various group demands are met.
It would be recalled that same time last year, TEWU threatened a strike action but called it off just a day to the commencement indicating it was due to an engagement with the government in which the government assured of fruitful deliberations to bring an end to the matter but unfortunately that did not happen.
“TEWU has been in talks with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission since June 2019 on the review of the conditions of service for unionised staff of public universities but the government has always defaulted on its promises and this time around we are ready for them,” he added.
