The Executive Secretary of the National Labour Commission (NLC), Ofosu Asamoah, has lashed out at the labour unions within the educational sector currently on strike, describing their action as ‘unmeritorious’ and ‘needless’.
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) are already on strike over the government’s failure to address some pressing concerns affecting them.
Some of the labour unions complained about the employer’s reluctance to address their welfare needs, including tier-two pension funds, vehicle maintenance allowance, and overtime allowance, among others.
In an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, with Umaru Sanda Amadu, Mr. Ofosu lashed out at the labour unions for their hasty decisions despite negotiations with the Commission.
“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?”
“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 pointed out.
He further described the actions by the labour unions 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 insisted.
