The Executive Secretary of the National Labour Commission (NLC), Ofosu Asamoah, has criticised the ongoing strike by labour unions in the educational sector, branding their actions as ‘unjustified’ and ‘unnecessary.’
Ofosu asserted that the decision by the unions to go on strike was impulsive, considering that negotiations with the Commission were still underway.
He deemed these actions as lacking merit and being unnecessary, particularly given the ongoing efforts to engage with the disgruntled unions. He expressed concern that strikes were increasingly being misused as a tool by labour unions. He spoke in an interview with Citi FM on Wednesday, January 31.
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 fail 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 said.
He went on to characterise the actions taken by the labor unions as ‘incorrect’ and unlawful.’
The 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 currently engaged in a strike, citing the government’s failure to address crucial concerns affecting their members.
Among the grievances raised by the labour unions are the employer’s perceived neglect of their welfare needs, including Tier-2 pension funds, vehicle maintenance allowance, and overtime allowance.
Despite these issues, the National Labour Commission (NLC) is urging the unions to halt their strike actions and resume negotiations.