General News of Tuesday, 22 April 2008

Source: GNA

Unions reject ten per cent mandate

Accra, April 22, GNA- National Executives of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) and the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSAG), have refused to negotiate for salary increase on the 10 percent which Vice Chancellors of Ghana (VCG) have been mandated to use for negotiation.

At a meeting with the VCG on Monday in Accra, the two unions said the 10 per cent was too low and they refused a proposal from the VCG to negotiate for allowances because any increase in allowance should be based on increased salaries.

Mr Daniel Ayim Antwi, General Secretary of TEWU, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday in Accra, said the Unions would only concede to invitation for negotiations when the mandate had been reviewed upwards by government.

He said: "Tension is mounting among our members in the various universities over the delay in concluding negotiations on our conditions of service and salaries, for that reason government should expedite action so that normal work is not disrupted."