The National Labour Commission (NLC) has issued a directive to the Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress, the Senior Staff Association of Public Universities, and the Federation of Universities Senior Staff to cease their strike action.
The decision to strike was made in response to the government’s perceived failure to address issues concerning pensions and the alleged unfair termination of their overtime allowances.
Following a meeting with the unions in Accra, Ofosu Asamoah, the Executive Secretary of the NLC, emphasized the importance of ending the strike and engaging in negotiations with the government to address their grievances.
Mr. Asamoah highlighted the government's willingness to engage in discussions with the unions and expressed confidence that they would comply with the directive.
He stated, “By law, if you are still on strike, you can’t negotiate. The law frowns on it. You can’t even wear red bands. It is intimidating. You brought up three issues, and two have been solved. The first one, your allowances have been resolved, the UMAT and the UCC have been solved. The third one, which is in issue, the party against whom you are says I am guilty; however, let’s sit down and know how to correct it.”
Mark Korankye, the General Secretary of TEWU, indicated that the unions would consult their members before making a final decision.
“NLC has given directives that the Ministry of Finance should meet with us to discuss and resolve the matter by the 1st of February. There are also issues that GTEC has to also resolve as far as overtime and other issues are also concerned. So they have also been directed to, as a matter of urgency, get this matter resolved. To the unions, the Commission says call off your strike,” he said.
“Before we can make any pronouncement on that, since we are only representatives here, we have to go and confirm with our rank and file and other leaders who are not here. So we are going to call a meeting of our members probably tomorrow or Friday, and then we will discuss what transpired here,” he added.
The directive from the NLC underscores the importance of adhering to legal procedures and engaging in constructive dialogue to address labor-related issues. It is expected that the unions will carefully consider the directive and prioritize the best interests of their members as they move forward in resolving their concerns through peaceful and lawful means.
-source citinewsroom | curated by Abigail Ameyaw| Mydailyreports24
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