The industrial action by the Universities Senior Staff Association of Ghana is biting hard on the KNUST campus, as teachers at the university’s basic school boycott class in demand for the restoration of the tier-2 pension and overtime allowances.
Pupils of the school have resorted to self-learning to keep busy.
The local chapter of the association says the strike will continue due to the government’s failure to meet their demands following a meeting with the Labour Commission.
Few days into the industrial action by the universities senior staff association, the impact is telling on the KNUST campus.
Members under the association took to streets of the campus and thronged the administration office to vent their displeasure, clad in red hand, arm and head bands.
Basic school teachers, security and library personnel, and other administrative officers have abandoned their duties in demand for the restoration of their overtime allowances and payment of tier-2 pensions.
Secretary of the Senior Staff Association at KNUST, Nana Bediako Baryeh says
“Our demands are important to us. We have to balance work and whatever we get from the government. The government should listen to us so we can go back to work as soon as possible,” he said.
Academic activity is almost grinding to a halt at the KNUST basic school.
Teachers at the school have abandoned classrooms with a few national service personnel and other casual workers at post.
At the parking lot of the school, vehicles owed by teachers which ordinarily parked in the area has reduced in number.
Teacher and the Women’s Commissioner of the local chapter, Josephine Akpoh who appeared distraught for the students, indicated the supporting staff at the school cannot contain the children.
“With the situation at hand, there’s nothing one can do. I feel sad for the students. The casual workers can’t take care of these children. We have announced that all staff should take their children off the school, because if something happens to these children we shouldn’t be held responsible,” she said.
The local leadership says if the government fails to meet their demands, it would be forced to withdraw its members at the university hospital which is presently in operation.
“The nurses, sonographers apart from doctors and the senior pharmacist the others are all senior staff and we will ask them to lay down their tools if nothing positive comes out of our meeting with the government,” Nana Baryeh threatened.
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