The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress – Ghana (TUC), has sent its strongest signal to the government, to immediately pay Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), to members without fail.

The union says members have reached their limit in the face of the excruciating economic conditions in the country and cannot wait any longer.

“Failure to respond positively to this call, the country’s educational sector stand to suffer and that will have a damming effect on the final years of the Senior High Schools in their preparations towards final examinations”, TEWU said in a statement.

The leadership of TEWU of TUC (GH) says it has made frantic appeals to government since September 2021, that given the skyrocketing prices of goods and services, authorities must pay COLA to workers, to enable them to cope with the challenging economic conditions.

“Unfortunately, these appeals have not received any positive response, not even an acknowledgement of the Union appeals by government, especially the sector minister, that is, the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations”, it lamented.

“As leaders of Public Sector workers, we cannot sit down for our members to be subjected to this treatment of no action from government to support them through COLA to deal with the worsening economic situation. In view of this, we have resolved that, by the end of this month, if no response is heard from government, members of the Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union, TEWU of TUC (GH), will have no other option, than to advice our members to lay down their tools, until COLA hits the account of our cherished members.”

“We, therefore, urge government that the earlier it responds positively to this COLA demand, the better it will be for the country in our education sector. Please government pay workers COLA), to prevent any turbulence on the labour front, because living conditions are deterioration by the day”, the release issued by the General Secretary of TEWU, Mark D. Korankye concluded.