TEWU on strike...mid sem exam postponed indefinately
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The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) in two of the country's universities have declared an indefinite strike over unpaid salary arrears.
This follows a one week ultimatum for government to pay in full seven months of salary arrears agreed with the workers.
Even though Joy FM sources have cited a cheque of GH₵6.3 million from the Ministry of Finance being part payment for the seven months arrears owed the workers, they insist they will only return to work if the full amount is paid.
Speaking to Luv FM's Elton John Brobbey, the chairman of the striking workers at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Asare Bediako said they will only return to work if government pays all the 17 per cent salary increment in full.
“We gave the government an ultimatum to last week and since today is a Monday we are beginning everything. So officially we are on strike.
“We are supposed to collect seven months from government and it is paying only three-and-half. It means that the money it is releasing is not up to what we agreed so we are only asking government to release the rest of the money so there will be industrial peace on campus.”
“We will only stop whatever we are doing only when our monies have been deposited in our accounts,” he threatened.
The strike is said to have disrupted academic activities on campus. A mid semester exam scheduled to begin on Monday has been indefinitely postponed, Joy News has learnt.
Elton Brobbey confirms that all faculty libraries on campus have been locked, a situation which has left students roaming about in search of a place for research.
The classrooms have also been left untidy as a result of the strike.
The situation at Legon is no different. Whilst TEWU members there are yet to make any formal declaration of a strike, Joy News reporter, Bernard Saibu said the Balme Library has been locked as students preparing for their mid semester exams have been left to wander.
The workers in their hundreds have reportedly converged in the courtyard of the university's registry on Monday morning waiting to hear from their leadership.