We Should Guard Against Unnecessary Industrial Agitation

The Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (TEWU) of TUC-Ghana says it will begin an indefinite industrial action, effective Monday,
November 18, if the government fails to resolve all issues regarding its conditions of service.
The Union expressed disappointment regarding the prolonged delay in concluding, signing, and implementing the Conditions of Service
for the Ghana Education Service, the Ghana Library Authority, the Museums and Monuments Board, as well as the Public Technical
Universities and Public Universities, despite years of negotiations.
This was in a statement signed by King James Azortibah, the General Secretary of the TEWU, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in
Accra.
"It is worrying that the issue regarding the various conditions of service of our members has been dragging for years," the statement said.
The statement said that with the new academic year underway, especially the admission process for first-year students of Senior High
Schools and various institutions, members of the Union cannot continue to work under uncertain conditions of service.
"We hope there will be prompt responses from the stakeholders to prevent unnecessary disruptions in the education sector," it said.
The Daily Searchlight has always been in support of establishing acceptable conditions of service for all categories of workers. We believe
that if employers are to achieve the best out of workers, then the conditions of the worker must be the best that is available.
To achieve that, government and employment must ensure a real commitment to engage constructively with labour.
We do believe that TEWU has genuine issues that need to be addressed, and employers and government has a duty to attempt to genuinely
connect with labour.
That stated, we also think that TEWU and other unions have a responsibility to exercise a great deal of restraint, particularly when it comes
to industrial action.
We believe that with students back at school, and elections just around the corner, any so-called industrial action would only go to deepen
tensions; with unlikely outcomes.
We therefore call on TEWU to rescind its decision to withdraw services, and find a way to engage constructively with government to find
ways to an improved conditions of service.
(Editorial of the Daily Searchlight of 15 th November, 2024).