The leadership of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called on Directors of the Ghana Education Service (GES) not to interfere with the annual leave days of members. 

The TEWU said leadership held every article in their conditions of service dearly, and would therefore not sacrifice or accept any diversion contrary to the provisions in their conditions of service. 

“We have negotiated and said that leave days must be apportioned in a certain order; the junior staff are entitled to 21 days, the middle level staff are entitled to 28 days, and the senior staff are entitled to 36 working days,” Mr Mark Dankyira Korankye, the General Secretary of the TEWU said.  

Speaking at the Union’s 13th Quadrennial Regional Delegates conference in Bolgatanga, he said leadership had received and taken note of concerns from members in various educational institutions where Directors denied them the appropriate number of annual leave days. 

Mr Korankye said such Directors referenced a human resource development document issued by the Public Services Commission, which the TEWU was not party to its development for their actions. 

He reminded the Directors who engaged in such acts that the conditions of service and the leave therein were negotiated and agreed upon, and must, therefore, be always respected to prevent any industrial action.  

“So, for us, as a Union, the mantra for TEWU members in this conference is ‘Touch not our leave days’ if you continue to do it, and continue to push us, we will have to resort to some industrial action which would not generate industrial harmony,” he warned.  

The conference, which was attended by Mr Joshua Ansah, the Deputy General Secretary of the TUC and other stakeholders, was on the theme: “Fostering partnership for equitable education delivery; role of TEWU.”  

Mr Korankye said copies of the conditions of service document signed by the Director-General of the GES, and the Minister of Education together with Union leadership were widely distributed at the cost of the Union. 

“So please do not hide under any public sector human resource document which has no signature anywhere and say you will not give us our leave days. Else, we will find ourselves somewhere battling this issue. It is not a threat. It is a friendly advice,” he said. 

He expressed concern about the progress of non-teaching staff in public institutions, saying “When it comes to progress of our teaching counterparts, it is so easy to move them from one grade to another, but when it comes to progress of the non-teaching staff, that is when we are now looking for scheme of service which is over 25years. 

“We pray that our management will take every step to ensure that there is a clear-cut progression line for every non-teaching staff to ensure that if we are due for promotion, it is just a matter of calls and the promotion is granted,” he said. 

He said restrictions on promotions and job vacancies in the GES should be avoided and opportunities given to non-teaching staff to rise through the ranks, “So allow non-teaching staff to also rise to the highest level. 

“Who says a non-teaching staff cannot rise to become a Regional Director, Deputy Director-General or Director-General of the GES. We can also allow us to progress,” he said.  

The TEWU’s General Secretary further expressed concern about situations where members had to travel several distances for promotion interviews, and called for a system of decentralization to the Regions so that members would attend such interviews for promotion, to reduce the associated stress.