Correct disparities in salary structures - TEWU

General Secretary of Teachers and Education Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress, Mr. Daniel Ayim Antwi, has announced that over 5,000 workers of the Union have been affected by irregularities emanating from the restructuring and computerisation of salaries in 1995.

He said the irregularity has also affected 73 out of the 140 grades of educational institutions, allowing the Accountant General's Department and the Ministry of Finance to place most of the non-teaching staff on levels five to eight.

Mr. Antwi was addressing the 8th Volta Regional Quadrennial Delegates Conference of TEWU in Ho, under the theme: "Education for National Development-The Role of Educational Workers".

For example, he said, a grade one clerk earns 4.9 million cedis annually; losing about 2.9 million cedis, due to the anomaly and as a result of placing them on level four instead of eight. The General Secretary said an accounts clerk who is a junior officer earns more than a senior Accounts Assistant.

Mr. Antwi noted that the irregularity was rendering the 140 grades of the educational sector to lose millions of cedis, which was detrimental to their socio-economic development. He urged management and the appellate body to pay all arrears involved, warning, "we would demand to the last pesewa what was due us, whether they liked it or not".

Mr. Antwi said tempers were running out since management had persistently failed to address their grievances on salary distortions, disparities and implement the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and refund of medical bills and other allowances agreed upon. He commended the rank and file of the Union for their support and forbearances even in the face of intimidations and frustrations.

Mr. Antwi urged the local and the District Councils of Labour (DCL) to rededicate themselves to the call of TEWU towards forging unity and peace needed for development to flourish.

Volta Regional Secretary of the TUC, Mr. Maxwell Akoto-Mireku, implored TEWU to regularise the anomaly of non-payment of allowances to kitchen staff and watchmen in all educational institutions as a matter of urgency. He also bemoaned the refusal of local Unions to pay the two per cent out of the 20 per cent dues collected from the locals to the DCL. Akoto-Mireku announced that the TUC had instituted a regional personality award scheme for Executives of the Union on May Days.