TEWU gives GES, universities two weeks to act
The national leadership of the Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has given stakeholders two weeks to address what it describes as unfair treatment of its members at various educational institutions across the country.
The stakeholders include the Ministers of Finance and Education, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), university managements and the Ghana Education Service (GES).
In a press statement issued and copied to The Ghanaian Times yesterday, TEWU said its members continued to face discrimination, delays in the payment of remuneration, unfair labour practices, inadequate recognition, limited career progression and poor working conditions.
The union said such practices were contrary to the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), stressing that non-teaching staff formed an integral part of Ghana’s education system and should not be neglected.
TEWU outlined eight key demands aimed at addressing the concerns, including the prompt payment of all outstanding overtime allowances owed to watchmen and security personnel of the GES, some of which had accrued over the years.
It also demanded the decoupling of ranks from positions to enable non-teaching staff to be promoted to their respective ranks without hindrance.
“We urge GES Management to formally enrich the decoupling grade rank from position, such that the Chief grade within the GES is fully decoupled from positional appointments and reclassified as a substantive, non-encumbered grade,” the statement said.
It added that promotion from Chief II to Chief grade should be based on clearly defined eligibility and merit-based criteria, including a minimum of four years at the Chief II grade, satisfactory performance and successful completion of a prescribed interview or examination.
Other demands include the implementation and payment of responsibility allowances to Unit Heads in the GES, implementation of the conditions of service for members, and the urgent recruitment of non-teaching staff to augment the existing workforce in the education sector.
The union also called for the implementation of the agreed five per cent operational allowance for eligible junior staff of the GES and the payment of all accrued arrears from February to July this year.
TEWU further demanded the restoration and protection of its representatives on the governing councils of universities and colleges of education in accordance with the relevant Acts.
The union called for an end to discrimination against non-teaching staff and urged stakeholders to invest in their welfare.
It warned that the concerns must be addressed within the two-week period given.
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