The Executive Secretary of the National Labour Commission (NLC) has slammed the ongoing strikes by various labour unions within the educational sector, labelling their actions as ‘unmeritorious’ and ‘needless’.
The strikes, initiated by groups including the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana, Federation of Universities Senior Staff (FUSSAG), Teachers and Educational Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU), and the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), are in response to the government’s perceived failure to address significant welfare concerns.
These concerns, as raised by the unions, include issues related to tier-two pension funds, vehicle maintenance allowance, and overtime allowance.
The Labour Commission expressed disapproval of the unions’ decision to strike, questioning the rationale behind their action given ongoing negotiations with the Commission.
Ofosu Asamoah pointed out that agreements had been reached between the parties involved, and he found the decision to strike, particularly when certain issues were in the process of being resolved, both unfortunate and unnecessary.
He further criticized the unions for what he perceived as a misuse of the strike as a tool, questioning the justification for the closure of universities and describing the strikes as both ‘wrong’ and unlawful.