(Updated): Gov’t responds to TEWU strike threat; Invites Leaders for talks

The Teachers and Education Workers Union (TEWU) has also been invited to join an ongoing meeting at the Flagstaff House today, Sunday March 17, 2013, between the Government and Teacher Unions-Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) over conditions of service and allowances.

TEWU’s invitation follows its threats to declare a strike on Monday over its exclusion from the negotiations.

RadioXYZonline.com can however confirm that the Government extended an invitation to TEWU moments after it heard reports of the intended TEWU agitation.

The group’s National President Peter Lumor had earlier expressed reservations with TEWU’s exclusion from the negotiations when he spoke to XYZ on Saturday March 17.

Mr Lumor said:“What we are telling the whole world is that, if you don’t declare a strike, the government will not listen to you, so TEWU will also meet on Monday and declare a strike”, stressing that: “…If that is what the government wants, we’ll go with them”.

He continued that: “On Wednesday we were in a meeting with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Controller and Accountant General, then it was NAGRAT who said they had a meeting so they left, so GNAT and TEWU stayed with Fair Wages till the end of the meeting then…what we hear is that the Government is meeting GNAT and NAGRAT…the issue is not only GNAT and NAGRAT, they are not the only people in the Ghana Education Service”.

“Why? Is it because we are non-teaching staff so we don’t matter?”

“If [TEWU] also says they will not work, what will happen? The students will go home early”.

TEWU says the four grievances tabled before the Government by GNAT and NAGRAT also apply to the Teachers and Education Workers Union.

Those grievances include: “(i) Non-negotiations of new proposals of the collective agreement for the teaching employees of the Ghana Education Service, (ii) Freeze on annual increments for the staff of GES since 2010, (iii) Non-payment of vehicle maintenance allowances for 2012 to date to GES staff who are qualified and (iv) Delays in resolving outstanding issues related to promotions”.