The National Labour Commission (NLC) has disclosed that it is overwhelmed with the numerous strike actions it has had to handle.
Speaking to Lantam Papanko on Starr Today, the Executive Secretary for the National Labour Commission, Mr. Ofosu Asamoah confirmed that the NLC has received notices from most of the Worker’s Associations and Unions on their intended strike actions.
According to him, the Chairman for the Commission has directed him to invite all the Unions and Associations adding that he will dispatch the invitation letters from Wednesday, 5th January 2022.
“We are tackling all of them, the Anaesthetists, Teachers and Education Workers Unions, the Legon branch of Teachers Association, College of Education TUTAG who have also issued us notice, and all others. Unfortunately, all these strikes timed immediately after the Christmas and New Year break so we are in a fix but I must say we are handling it,” he assured.
The Executive Secretary however, stated that the most difficult time for the Commission is when the nation is heading to elections adding that the Commission will handle the current situation.
“I am confident that the Commission can handle this like it has handled them in the past and the legitimacy of the strikes will be determined by the Commission when we meet,” he added.
A number of public sector workers are currently on strike for various reasons while others have also served the NLC notice of embarking on strike if the government does not respond favorably to them.
The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) has called on its members across the country to withdraw their services from today, Wednesday, January 5, 2022 over their unpaid professional development allowances.
Addressing the media, the General Secretary of the Union, Mark Dankyira Korankye disclosed that all their members, both in the schools, district, and regional offices are going to withdraw their services until an amicable settlement is reached.
According to him, if the government had been proactive about the Union’s concerns they would not have embarked on strike action.
“If the government had come to the table in 2019 we would have finished negotiating the conditions of service and signed it. So that it becomes an implementing document for us to operate with. We are in January 2022. 18 months have passed and we still have not been able to finally agree on all the provisions that we proposed for a change,” the Secretary disclosed.
The Secretary to the University of Ghana Teachers Association (UG-UTAG), Prof Ransford Gyampo has also disclosed that the National Leadership of the Association has served notice for an expected UTAG industrial action on the 10th January 2022.
Source: Starr
