TEWU to strike Friday over unmet demands

The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) of TUC (Ghana) has declared an indefinite nationwide strike effective Friday, September 19, 2025, in protest against the government’s continued failure to address long-standing concerns of non-teaching staff across the country’s education sector.

In a statement signed by General Secretary King James Azortibah, TEWU directed all its members—including non-teaching staff of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Public and Technical Universities, the Ghana Library Authority, and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board—to stay at home until further notice.

“This decision has become inevitable due to Government and employer institutions’ persistent failure to address long-standing concerns…despite exhausting all laid-down legal and procedural requirements,” the statement said.

Key Demands by TEWU

The union listed several pressing issues:

* Immediate signing of Conditions of Service for non-teaching staff in all affected institutions.
* Inclusion of non-teaching GES staff in the Continuous Professional Development Allowance to be paid in September.
* Resolution of promotion-related grievances, including staff who passed interviews but remain unpaid or unconfirmed in their new roles.
* Urgent action from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to finalize and sign all outstanding agreements.

TEWU warned that any attempt to intimidate or prevent its members from observing the strike would constitute an unfair labour practice.

“We have exercised patience and restraint. We have followed due process and exhausted all legal requirements under the Labour Act of Ghana. The responsibility for the disruption of industrial peace in the education sector rests squarely with Government and its agencies,” the union said.

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Possible Disruption Ahead

The indefinite strike is expected to disrupt key administrative, security, library, and support services in schools, universities, libraries, and cultural institutions nationwide.

The union has copied its declaration to all relevant stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, GES, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, and the National Labour Commission.

Employers have been urged to respect the decision and avoid actions that infringe on the lawful rights of non-teaching staff.