The Upper East Regional Industrial Relation Officer of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union, TEWU, Matthew Abeaba Aberiniya has revealed that the Regional branch of the union has asked its members who are security personnel working under the Ghana Education Service GES to remain at post despite the industrial action declared on Wednesday, January 5, 2022.
According to Mr. Aberiniya, the decision was to protect public property against theft and burglary. He believes the absence of its members from post exposes such properties to loss or damages to which members are liable.
Speaking on the midweek edition of the Sunrise Morning show on GBC URA Radio in Bolgatanga monitored by Apexnewsgh.com, the Upper East Regional capital, Mr. Abeaba Abereniya further revealed that the security personnel is to perform their core mandate. “If you are a security man and you know how to drive, perform your core mandate. If you are a security man and you know how to use a computer, perform your core mandate, don’t do secretarial duties,” he stressed.
He assured parents and the general population of the commitment of its members to work but was quick to add that they cannot work on an empty stomach. Mr. Abeaba Abereniya indicated that TEWU will consider calling off the strike action, only when the government engages them to discuss modalities to defray the two years arrears of the Professional Development Allowance owe its members.
The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) announced its decision to embark on a strike from Wednesday, January 5, 2022, to demand arrears in their professional development allowances. At a news conference in Accra, the 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”.
He explained that it was resolved, among others that 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, their members would withdraw their services to push home our demand of the payment of this professional development allowances. TEWU members include bursars, cooks, cleaners, administrators, accountants, auditors, among others.
Addressing the media, the General Secretary of the union, Mark Dankyira Korankye, said the strike will only be called off if their demands are met. The group’s last strike threat was in May 2021. That threat was in protest of poor conditions of service. The union’s last strike was on January 13, 2021, but the union’s national leadership called off the strike on January 18. At the time, TEWU said suspending the industrial action was going to allow for negotiations with the government to be conducted in good faith.
However, TEWU has been in talks with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission since June 2019 on the review of the conditions of service for unionized staff of public universities.
Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Prosper Adankai
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