Story: News Desk
The National Labour Commission (NLC) has summoned the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Ghana, along with relevant stakeholders, to a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
This comes in response to TEWU’s ultimatum to embark on an indefinite strike starting November 18, 2024, if the government does not address longstanding concerns regarding their conditions of service.
TEWU has expressed deep frustration over delays in concluding, signing, and implementing revised conditions of service for workers under the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ghana Library Authority, the Museums and Monuments Board, as well as Public Technical and Traditional Universities. The union emphasized that negotiations for these reviews have dragged on for years, leaving their members dissatisfied.
In its statement issued on Friday, the NLC urged TEWU to suspend its planned industrial action ahead of the scheduled meeting. The commission expressed hope for an amicable resolution to the grievances to prevent disruption to the educational sector.
TEWU’s demands reflect growing tension over labour conditions in key public institutions, with the union insisting that their concerns be addressed without further delay.
“In a correspondence dated 12th November 2024 with Ref. No TEWU/NLC/7/23/23 served on the Commission on 14th November 2024 by TEWU and copied among others, the Complainant Union has notified the Commission of its intention to embark on an indefinite strike with effect from Monday 18th November 2024 over claims of ‘prolonged delay in concluding, signing and implementing Conditions of Service for Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana Museums and Monuments Board and the Public Technical Universities and Public Universities.’”
“While formally acknowledging receipt of the Union’s letter by this response, the Commission wishes to draw the Union’s attention to the requirements of the Law on the service of notice pursuant to Section 159 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651). In the exercise of its powers under Section 139 of Act 651, the parties are to appear as in paragraph 1, above for hearing of the issue(s) in dispute. With this intervention, the Union is hereby advised to stay the intended strike action.”
“Meanwhile, the Respondent Employer and/or its representatives and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) are to furnish the Commission with a status report of the issue(s) in dispute before the close of the working day on Tuesday, 19th November 2024,” it stated.