The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC-Ghana) has called on its members to join them in a united front to demand improved conditions of service as Ghana joins the world in the celebration of this year’s May Day.
General Secretary of the union, King James Azortibah believes that it is only through a united front that the leadership can find amicable solutions to the challenges facing its members.
In a statement signed by the General Secretary on May 1, the union listed areas where they could demand better services through collaborative efforts.
According to the union, even though the country was going through an economic downturn, workers were still giving off their best, but their efforts were not appreciated as they’re not properly remunerated for their contributions to building the nation.
“The government must improve the remuneration for our people, to deal with the economic problems. Workers deserve a living wage and it must be now,” it read.
The union mentioned that despite the lump sum amount due to workers after retirement, the government has failed to pay these pensioners.
“Workers who retired since 2020 have not received the lump sum owed to them, and the same applies to all who have recently gone on pensions. TEWU of TUC-Ghana, therefore joins hands with other labour unions, to demand that government pays without further delays, all Tier-2 deductions and related arrears and penalties to the Fund MANAGERS without fail,” the release added.
Again, the union is requesting the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) to promptly remit the union with the dues deductions, as required by law.
“This is crucial to ensure that the union’s activities can continue to run smoothly”it said.
TEWU said the current free Senior High School policy has put immense pressure on the non-teaching staff, a situation that had caused health challenges.
In this regard, it said “We call on the Ministry of Finance to as a matter of urgency, issue financial clearance for the recruitment of more non-teaching staff to fill the ever-increasing vacancies in the various educational institutions.”
Additionally, the union bemoaned that despite the advancement in technology, many kitchen staff still depended on wood to prepare meals for students. Following the many years of cooking in such an environment, many of their members are battling health conditions.
The union, therefore appealed to the government to adopt innovative ways of meals preparation.