As Ghana joins the rest of the World to mark this year’s International Workers Day,
the Teachers and Educational Workers’
Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress, Ghana and the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU), have sent solidarity messages on their expectations.
The General Secretary of TEWU of TUC Ghana , King James Azortibah called for the swift finalisation
of all outstanding negotiations to avoid agitation and ensure industrial harmony.
He called for the urgent need to recruit additional staff, especially kitchen and security personnel, particularly in Senior High Schools since the current workforce was overstretched which was impacting service delivery.
“We demand that workplace safety and health standards be prioritized. It is unacceptable that in 21st-century Ghana, some of our members continue to work under substandard and hazardous
conditions,” he added.
Mr Azortibah indicated that both teaching and non-teaching staff were essential pillars of the education sector emphasising that authorities must end the neglect of non-teaching staff and place their welfare and professional develop- ment at the forefront of policy planning not as an afterthought.
He called on the government to pursue prudent economic policies that promote sustainable growth for the benefit of all Ghanaians, whether in the formal or informal sectors.
The TEWU General Secretary also called on the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to immediately halt the unauthorised deductions made under the guise of “retro net offset.”
He said these deductions were often carried out without prior engagement with affected members or the appropriate agencies.
“The practice of replacing heads of public sector institutions with every change of government must stop, saying such frequent changes disrupt continuity, demoralise staff, and undermine institutional
growth.
Career public servants should be given the opportunity to rise based on merit rather than political considerations,” he added.
The General Secretary of the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU), Ghana, Mr Morgan Ayawine on his part said, as workers, they must realise the essence of time, and that whatever service needed to render for the economic growth and development of mother Ghana should be so consciously and with alacrity, so as to meet timelines and achieve set targets.
He said it was always important to leverage the opportunity “we have as workers, for the full realisation of the purpose of trade union existence and capacity building that can stand the test of time.
Mr Ayawine indicated that equally, employers were obligated to “play the game by the rule” and ensure that workers were treated fairly in accordance with the dictates of the Collective Agreement and the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), and not be short-changed.
He said workers must be given
their fair share of the wealth they have contributed in creating, in terms of optimum wages/salaries and other benefits they were entitled to, without foot-dragging or any scheming to deprive them of what was rightfully due them.
“We should therefore , not take this dispensation for granted, but uphold it, and continue to accen- tuate the rights of workers in this regard, in the mutual relationship with Employers and other stake- holders.’’ Mr Ayawine said.
BY TIMES REPORTER
