Ghanaian labour dispute resolution expert, Austin Gamey, has asserted government has been unable to meet the demands of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) because it lacks the resources to do so.
He disclosed the pressure on the government’s purse has increased in recent times, with some of the consequences being their inability to fulfil their commitment to TEWU.
“The case of TEWU has existed for a while now, and I remember they met with the government and were persuaded to put their strike on hold. I believe the government has been unable to meet its demands because of inadequate resources. There appears to be so much pressure on the government purse, and gov’t attention has been divided, and these are some of the consequences.”
The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) has announced its decision to embark on a strike tomorrow, Wednesday, January 5, 2022, to demand arrears in their professional development allowances.
At a news conference, General Secretary of TEWU, Mark Denkyira Korankye, said, “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, if 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 explained.
TEWU members include bursars, cooks, cleaners, administrators, accountants, auditors, among others.
In an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, Austin Gamey indicated that the government has to find ways to deal with such concerns before they escalate into strike actions.
He urged the government to efficiently manage its scarce resources and proactively pre-empt and address stakeholder concerns before they even come up. “Students are just resuming school, and we don’t want them to pack up and return home. We need to resolve TEWU’s concerns by either paying their arrears or assuaging their fears, so they don’t embark on the strike.”
happyghana.com
