The Teachers and Educational Worker’s Union (TEWU) of the TUC has given the government until the end of the month to settle all arrears owed its members in SSNIT and tier two pensions contributions.
The union made this call during its 13th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference to elect new leaders. The union expresses deep concern over the government’s lackadaisical approach to addressing their needs.
According to the General Secretary of the union, Mark Dankyira Korankye despite the government deducting these contributions monthly from their salaries, it has been in arrears for several months, and efforts to get the government to pay them have been unsuccessful.
“Government must as a matter of urgency pay all pension monies to the schemes to enable the schemes to properly invest for the total benefit of our members. This must be done within this month. We should not be blamed for any action that may erupt if payments are not made as early as possible. Our future starts from today”.
The theme for the conference was’; Fostering partnership for equitable education delivery, the role of TEWU.
Dignitaries that graced the conference include the Secretary General of TUC Dr. Yaw Baah, his deputy Joshua Ansah, Director of Management Services at the Ghana Education Service Stephen Kwaku Owusu and Dr. Christian Addai-Poku, Executive Secretary of the National Teaching Council.
In his remarks, the Secretary General of TUC Dr. Yaw Baah indicated TUC’s plans to embark on a strike on May 2, 2024 if the government does not release their tier two pension funds.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the union, Ambrose Kwadjodza, urged the government to hire more non-teaching staff in various schools to accommodate the high number of students. The union laments that its workforce in various educational institutions are overburdened due to the large numbers of students admitted every year.
In response, Dr. Christian Addai-Poku, Executive Secretary of the National Teaching Council who spoke on behalf of the Minister of Education assured the union of the government’s commitment to addressing their concerns.