The Eastern Regional Executives of Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) have held an “Executive Talk meeting” in Koforidua to deliberate on matters of concern.
The meeting was held at the back of growing anger over a 4% pay raise for public sector workers for the next two years agreed by organized Labour.
Some angry public sector workers have expressed their disappointment in the leadership of organized labor describing the negotiation as the weakest ever and insensitive to the plight threatening to embark on demonstration on August 18, 2021, in Accra for it to be reviewed upwards.
Addressing the members, the General Secretary of TEWU Mark Dankyira Korankye, however, explained that organized labor reluctantly agreed to the 4% increment on public sector salaries to among other things prevent imminent lay-offs in the public sector.
He however said, organized labor never anticipated that its 15% increment proposals would be shot down to nose-diving 4% counter-proposal by the government considering the solid justification that backed its proposals but the government maintained that covid-19 has negatively impacted the economy therefore not robust to meet the 15% increment demand, that, it could lead to retrenchment in Public sector and freeze on employment.
“There has been a lot of uproars and a lot of agitation since the National minimum wage was announced and then followed up by the 4% increase of the base pay. There have been a lot of bashing on leadership but let me take a few minutes of your time to explain that leadership never anticipated that that was going to be the end of the negotiation but we have to look at certain information that was provided by the Statistical service and some other information that we had to consider the fact that it is better to remain alive to be able to enjoy later in the year”
Mark Dankyira Korankye appealed to members of TEWU to remain calm stating that organized Labour negotiated in good faith with a considered view on the government’s concern of the poor health of the economy as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, possible redundancy, and freeze on public sector employment if organized labor took entrenched position on its percentage increment demand.
“Organized Labour entered into the negotiation with the proposal of 15%. At the first meeting, the Finance Minister himself was there and he came with a plea that things are hard for the economy and therefore pleaded with organized labor to consider accepting 4% “.He said
Eastern Regional Industrial Relation Officer for TEWU Gifty Abena Turkson said the meeting was critical and timely for the Union to iron out few issues and deliberate on matters to improve the welfare of members.
The Eastern Regional Director of Education, Margret Nsiah Ofori urged TEWU to foster unity with other unions under the education sector just so they move along in terms of the condition of service and welfare.
The Eastern Regional Secretary of TUC Phyliss Agyemang said the union is expecting that workers continue to give off their best amid covid-19 so that output is not affected with consequences on the economy.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
