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Executive Secretary,NLC Slams Striking Teacher Unions over needles Strike
Mr. Ofosu Asamoah, the Executive Secretary of the National Labour Commission (NLC), believes there is absolutely no basis for the current strike action by teacher unions across the country.
To him, it is “as if they just want to close it for fun”, describing their industrial action as “unmeritorious and needless”.
The various Teacher Unions who have embarked on strike over the government’s failure to address some pressing concerns that affect them in the line of duty include 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).
Some of the labour unions complained about the government’s refusal to address their welfare needs, which includes their tier-two pension funds, vehicle maintenance allowance, and overtime allowance, among others.
But Mr. Ofosu Asamoah sniped at the labour unions for their hasty decisions despite the ongoing negotiations with the Labour Commission.
Speaking on the “Eyewitness News” with Umaru Sanda on Citifm, he said,
“There was an agreement between the parties involved. You leave the commission and go and declare a strike, and all others have also joined. You have put something across, and you have agreed, why go on strike when your issues have been resolved? Why do you want to be on strike when those issues that have not been resolved are being resolved by your good self?”
He further added that, “It’s quite an unfortunate situation. It’s like, at the moment, the strike is becoming a tool that is being misused. I failed to find the legs on which they were standing to declare the strike and close all universities. As if they just want to close it for fun. Their strike is unmeritorious, it’s needless.”
He therefore described the decisions to embark on their strike as ‘wrong’ and unlawful.’
“As the Executive Secretary of the NLC, with my experience, knowledge, and everything of the law, I think this is an unlawful strike,” Mr. Asamoah reiterated.