The Teachers and Education Workers Union’s (TEWU) strike continues to disrupt schools across the country, as the union resists calls to suspend industrial action. Despite mounting pressure from the National Labour Commission (NLC), the union insists it will only return to work after their demands are met.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday, September 23, the National Chairperson of TEWU, Salamatu Mahamah Braimah, “Until we conclude and sign the conditions of service, we will not come to class. The NLC themselves know that we went by the rules, and this is never illegal. We have given them the chronology of events. So why is NLC writing to us?”.

The Union began its nationwide strike on Friday, September 19, to protest the government's inaction on addressing their long-standing concerns about conditions of service.

Nearly a year ago, the Union embarked on a strike over non-implementation of agreed allowances such as vehicle maintenance and off-campus, delays in Tier Two pension deductions and general dissatisfaction with working conditions. They announced an indefinite strike action on September 29, 2024 and today Monday 8, they have issued a notice of an impending same on September 19, this year.

In a statement dated September 5, and titled “Notice of industrial action due to delay in signing conditions of service”, the Union stated after several follow-ups and engagement with relevant stakeholders for the finalization of their conditions of service , nothing concrete has come out of it. This they mention has affected members.

Consequently, “We hereby notify the Management of these Institutions of our intention to commence action with effect from 19 September to compel the relevant authorities to expedite the signing of the Conditions of Service.

“Despite repeated engagements and persistent follow-ups, the delay in finalising and signing the Conditions of Service for these critical sectors remains unresolved. The prolonged inaction has severely impacted our members' welfare and morale.

“We have outlived our patience and can no longer contain the growing pressure from our rank and file. The continued postponement is unacceptable and leaves us with no alternative but to escalate the matter,” they clarified in the statement.

Members of TEWU who intend to partake in this strike include “...Technical and Public Universities, Ghana Library Authority, and Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB)”.

Anticipated impact of TEWU’s imminent strike action

The industrial action by the Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) significantly disrupted academic operations across Ghanaian universities. Administrative and logistical functions such as registration, examination preparation, timetable coordination, and facility maintenance were delayed, throwing academic calendars off course.

A case in point is the rescheduling of examinations and practical lab sessions. College of Basic and Applied Sciences had to postpone their lab sessions dur to absence of lab assistants. Administrative offices, including those handling student registration and exam coordination, were all involved in the strike disrupting academic schedules among others.

TEWU’s absence at their post was heavily felt forcing the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to send a public appeal to the government to intervene and resolve the crisis.

In an interview on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on September 27, 2024, UTAG National President Dr. Mamudu Akudugu stated: “I would appeal to the government to at least find ways of resolving whatever the issues are so that our colleagues can be assured and then come back to continue their work.”

Meanwhile, about two months ago, The Tertiary Education Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU-GH) embarked on an indefinite strike, effective Thursday, July 3, following the expiry of a seven-day ultimatum issued to “relevant authorities” on June 24.

The group’s strike was in protest of what they describe as the “egregious and unjustifiable” recognition of a smaller union, TEWU-TUC, to officially represent workers on the Governing Councils of public universities, a decision that disregards TEWU-GH’s majority membership and legitimate claim to representation.

In a statement dated July 3rd and signed by the National Chairman, Suleman Abdul-Rahman, TEWU-GH, the disgruntled union, expressed its discontent and dissatisfaction with the authorities’ failure to provide any satisfactory explanation or resolution after multiple concerns were expressed over TEWU-TUC’s representation.

The union cited that concerned authorities “blatantly disregarding democratic principles and the rights of the majority union” have forced them to take “drastic and immediate action” to uphold fairness, transparency, and democracy in tertiary education governance.

Consequently, TEWU-GH demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of TEWU-TUC’s appointment as workers’ representative on university governing councils.

The union also wants the Ministers for Labour and Education to instruct the Chief Labour Officer to conduct a verification exercise, in line with Labour Regulations 2007 (L.I. 1833), to determine which union holds the majority membership among non-teaching staff in public universities. It further called for the establishment of a clear, credible, and democratic process for determining union representation on university governing councils. They argue this is essential to ensure that the voice of the majority is respected and reflected in governance structures.

TEWU-GH also called for the establishment of “a transparent, democratic, and verifiable process” to determine union representation across tertiary institutions, ensuring that governance structures reflect the voice of the majority.

Reaffirming its resolve, the union stated, “We remain committed to peaceful engagement with authorities but will not compromise on our demands or retreat in the face of adversity.”

TEWU-GH appealed to fellow labour unions, stakeholders, and all well-meaning Ghanaians to stand in solidarity, emphasising that “only through collective support can the rights and interests of tertiary education workers be protected, safeguarding industrial harmony across the Traditional Public Universities.”