Workers at public universities across Ghana have announced their detachment from the national union, the Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

The association, now formally known as the Tertiary Education Workers’ Union of Ghana (TEWU-GH), says it has run out of patience with the lackadaisical and irresponsible attitude of the national leadership of TEWU-TUC.

TEWU-GH alleges its conditions of service have for the past 14 years not been renewed after several negotiations.

Workers in various public universities across the country converged at the KNUST campus to officially outdoor their new association.

Leadership of the new national umbrella says it was unhappy with how their erstwhile national executives of TEWU-TUC treated petitions brought before them.

Members say they are bearing the brunt of the high cost of living as the leadership of TEWU-TUC has failed to negotiate for renewal of its conditions of service after expiration in 2008 among others.

Chairman of TEWU-GH, Sulemana Abdul Rahman alleges the national leadership of TEWU-TUC went behind the backs of its members to renegotiate petitions that had recently been sent before the government.

“This would ensure that when we negotiate with the government, part of what we have negotiated will not be taken away as the national executives have done in our recent negotiations. 

"Which is allowances that were negotiated for a MoU signed Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, but by the end of the end the national union went behind us and these allowances were cut off.

“We don’t want to have these people leading us again,” he said.

The Association said it is claiming all its assets and liabilities of TEWU of TUC-GH in the respective Public Universities.

Interim Chairman for TEWU-GH, KNUST local, Charles Arthur indicated properties belonging to their locality have been officially taken away from TEWU-TUC.  

“The new union takes assets and liabilities of all local branches at the respective public universities. They belong to us. If TEWU-TUC has assets in Accra which belong to the entire union, those belong to them,” he said.

Presenting a letter to the management of KNUST to formally announce its presence on campus, the Association said it will work harmoniously with the management at the various universities. 

Find the official statement from the leadership of the association.