TEWU embarks on sit-down strike over non-payment of retention premium

The Western Regional branch of the Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU), has began a sit-down strike to protest against the non-payment of the 15 per cent retention premium of the remaining 11 categories of non teaching staff.

The TEWU members wore red armbands to work while red bands were hanged in front of their offices to express their current state.

Mr Robert Kojo Zanutey, Western Region Vice Chairman of TEWU, told the Ghana News Agency in Takoradi that the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) is discriminating against them and that they had resolved to fight for their right.

The non-teaching staff of the Ghana Education Service (GES) that constituted the TEWU members included accountants, secretaries, administrators, storekeepers, cooks, drivers and cleaners.

Mr Zanutey said that members of the Union were of the view that there were too many discrepancies in the salary structure and could not allow such discrimination to continue.

“I don’t understand why the FWSC says non-teaching staff do not deserve retention premium because they do not teach in the classroom”, he said adding that “why is it that teachers who had been transferred to GES offices because of mental problems receive retention premium?” .

It would be recalled that early this month, the National Executive of TEWU threatened to embark on nationwide industrial action if the FWSC failed to address the 15 percent retention premium by July 19, therefore, the sit-down strike is a reaction to the failure by the FWSC to respond appropriately to that request.

Source: GNA