Treat Polytechnic TEWU fairly - Antwi

Accra. Feb.01, GNA - Mr Dan Antwi, General Secretary of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), has appealed to Government to address the "unfair treatment to its members at the Polytechnics."

He said there was no justification for the refusal of mandate to the Conference of Polytechnic Principals (COPP) to begin negotiations with TEWU on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)that expired since January 24, 2004.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Mr Antwi said mandate had already been given in respect of Ghana Education Service, the Universities and the West Africa Examination Council whose employees were members of TEWU leaving the Polytechnics.

Mr Antwi said TEWU requested for the mandate in respect of all the local unions since 2003 but surprisingly no reason had been assigned for the exclusion of the Polytechnics.

Meanwhile, a resolution adopted by the Central Executive Committee of Polytechnic Local Unions had appealed to Government to grant the mandate without further delay.

It said "If by the close of work on Friday, February 3, 2006, Government has not made it possible for negotiations to commence, we will deem it fit to advise ourselves."

Sources to the committee told the GNA that "tension is building up among the rank and file on the various Polytechnic campuses."