TEWU executives at the press conference
The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC-Ghana), has said the breakaway groups of the Union do not hold any bargaining power as they are trying to portray to the public.
TEWU General Secretary, Mark Dankyira Korankye, addressing the press in Accra, acknowledged that the members of the new groups are former executive members of TEWU.
He said the groups; Tertiary Education Workers Union, Ghana are made up of former local executives who left in June 2022 to form their group, and Technical Universities Workers Association of Ghana who also consists of former local executives of TEWU of TUC-Ghana, who formed their group in 2014, originally known as POWAG.
He indicated that the breakaway groups had sought to use the media reports of their purported merger, to deceive the unsuspecting non-teaching staff at the traditional and technical universities and the public that, they have the mandate to engage the government and other state agencies in negotiating bargaining-related issues.
“At this material moment that we address you, the leadership of TEWU of TUC-Ghana, can say without any shred of doubt, that these breakaway groups do not possess any bargaining certificates or collective agreements to make them believe they can advance the interests of the non-teaching staff at the traditional and technical universities.
“Our checks at the relevant agencies, including the Labour Department, indicate, that none of the two breakaway groups possesses bargaining certificates or collective agreements,” Mr. Korankye said.
He assured the non-teaching staff members at the technical and traditional universities and the public that TEWU of TUC is the sole union with the collective agreement and bargaining certificate to negotiate with the government on behalf of junior staff, some senior staff, and senior members of public and technical universities in the country.
“TEWU of TUC-Ghana, has been negotiating with the government on the welfare and conditions of service for the junior staff, some senior staff and senior members in both the public and the technical universities since their establishment,” he said.
He also noted that TEWU is the union recognized in various university statutes and, therefore, has the rightful representation of junior staff, some senior staff, and senior members in the university councils.
“The majority of junior staff across university communities remains loyal members of the TEWU of TUC-Ghana.
It should, therefore, be noted that TEWU of TUC-Ghana is in court as part of the due process to get the leadership of the breakaway groups to account for their stewardship during their tenure as local executives of TEWU of TUC-Ghana,” he added.
Mr. Korankye further noted that accountability is key to any leadership and TEWU of TUC-Ghana will not countenance anything to the contrary.
“The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union TEWU of TUC-Ghana, works with structures which are intended to promote accountability at all levels.
“It is therefore sad that when it is time for people entrusted with the responsibility of managing affairs at the structures to account for their stewardship, then they try to circumvent the rules of engagement and resort to tactics like breaking away, to avoid being accountable… it must be stressed that the union will not allow people who are not ready to be accountable to continue engaging in activities intended to undermine it, (the TEWU of TUC-Ghana),” he noted.
A Daily Guide Report