The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) will from today embark on a nationwide strike over government’s failure to pay all outstanding arrears relating to their professional development allowances.

This follows a press conference addressed by the General Secretary of the Union, Mark Denkyira Korankye, on Tuesday.

According to Mr. Korankye, “All our members, both in the schools, district and regional offices are going to withdraw our services until an amicable settlement of this matter is reached.

“Government must, with immediate effect stop the naked discrimination against TEWU and pay members their continuous professional development allowance”.

Confirming the decision on Joy FM‘s Newsnight, the President of TEWU, Ambrose Kwadzodzah stated that the Union has breached no law in its decision to embark on the strike action.

Mr. Kwadzodzah explained that the Union has followed the procedures stipulated in the Labour Act by submitting the necessary documents to the relevant bodies including the National Labour Commission (NLC).

“We notified the National Labour Commission and the appropriate bodies as stated in the Labour Act, Sections 158 and 159. We gave those notifications and the seven days have expired so we are within the law. NLC will not write to you to go ahead but we gave our notification around December 22, 2021,” he said.

The TEWU President added that their demands have not been met since their grievances were laid before government in 2020.

“Our members are not happy. So they are starting the year with sadness. We can’t go to work when we are sad. Nobody can be working when he is sad. We all have to be joyful when working.

“If you are working and you are not happy, your productivity will be very low. And we don’t want that to happen,” he told Emefa Apawu.

TEWU, which is a labour union comprising secretaries, artisans, cashiers, bursars, cleaners, administrators, accountants and other professionals who render services in tertiary institutions across the country is calling for a review of the conditions of service for members.

In January, 2021, the Union stayed true to its words and embarked on a strike action to register its displeasure.

Students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) then appealed to government to resolve the impasse as the Union’s strike was gradually taking a toll on sanitation on campus.

Later, the government indicated its readiness to dialogue with the aggrieved workers and the strike action was suspended.