Members of the Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) of TUC, Ghana, in the Upper East Region have joined their colleagues across the country in a nationwide strike to demand better conditions of service.
The workers, clad in red head and wrist bands, converged in Bolgatanga on Friday, where they chanted solidarity songs to signify their resolve.
Addressing the press on behalf of the General Secretary, King James Azortibah, the Senior Industrial Relations Officer in the region, Matthew Abeaba Abereniya, said the decision to strike followed years of neglect and unfair treatment of non-teaching staff in the education sector.
“For too long, non-teaching staff of the Ghana Education Service, public and technical universities, the Ghana Library Authority, and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board have been sidelined. Our contributions to education are indispensable, yet our welfare and conditions of service remain unresolved,” Mr. Abereniya stated.
He explained that unresolved issues include delays in signing conditions of service, unpaid allowances for security and catering staff, non-payment of the Continuous Professional Development Allowance (CPDA) to non-teaching staff, and unresolved promotion grievances within the Ghana Education Service.
“Patience is not weakness, and our silence must not be mistaken for acceptance. This strike is not against students or parents but against an unfair system that undermines the dignity and rights of TEWU members,” he stressed.
The union is demanding the immediate signing of all conditions of service for its members, inclusion of non-teaching staff in CPDA payments, and urgent resolution of all outstanding promotion and allowance issues.
Mr. Abereniya called on the government and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to address their concerns without delay, adding that all TEWU members have been directed to stay at home until further notice.
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