National Labour Commission summons SSA-UoG, FUSSAG and TEWU leaders over intention to strike on August 8

The National Labour Commission (NLC) has directed the three aggrieved tertiary teacher unions to suspend its intension to strike and appear before it next week.

The Senior Staff Association-Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), the Federation of Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSSAG), the Teachers and Educational Workers Union of Trade Union Congress (TEWU- TUC) have threatened to strike on August 8 over Vehicle Maintenance Allowance (VMA) and other related allowances.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Ofosu Asamoah, said the meeting with representatives of the unions has become necessary because they have not complied with the required period of notice.

“This was done on the 5th, (intention to strike) and you are going on strike on Thursday. It falls short of the law, when you want to strike a notice should be given to the National Labour Commission and your employers not the press,” he explained.

“I am directing a letter to be written immediately to haul them before the Commission for us to look at the issue. We can’t afford to sleep on the issue to allow the strike to come on,” Mr Asamoah noted.

He expressed concern about the unfair labour practices by both the employer and some labour unions.

The Executive Secretary explained that if parties fail to comply with the directive of the Labour Commission, there will be more strikes.

“The strikes have been too repetitive not because Labour Commission is not doing its work, it is just that the tripartite has always failed to discharge it duties,” he lamented.

However, a member of the National Executive Council of the Senior Staff Association of Ghana, James Banoeng Yakubo said, they will proceed with the strike despite calls by the NLC to suspend it.

“I am saying it on authority, National Labour Commission is aware of this case. We are not on strike as we speak. If you read the letter, we are saying these are the steps we have taken to resolve the issue not to come to the media, but the Ministry of Finance, let’s just point it at the door step of the Ministry of Finance, because Fair Wages and Salaries Commission has done its part so that everybody will know that the Ministry of Finance is not waking up to it duties,” he said.

Mr Yakubu added that, “The national leadership is in Kumasi, yet any time NLC calls they are in town. This shows the commitment that we are making to solving the problem not just coming to the media and I have to state is categorically here, senior staff, we are not just interested in embarking on strike. The government of the day is the one that is failing us.”

Source:onuaonline.com