Senior staff of the Volta River Authority (VRA), and members of the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU), have staged a protest at the VRA headquarters in Accra.
The demonstration on Wednesday was in opposition to a proposed merger between the VRA and the Bui Power Authority.
They also raised objections to a draft bill currently in Parliament that seeks to consolidate the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), with the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), and create an independent Thermal Power Authority from VRA’s thermal plants.
Chairman of the VRA Senior Staff Association, Mr. Theophilus Tetteh Ahia, during the protest, called for the immediate withdrawal of the merger bill.
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Meanwhile, The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has declared an indefinite nationwide strike, joining forces with the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) and the Federation of Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSSAG).
The industrial action, effective Friday, September 20, 2024, comes in response to unresolved issues surrounding members’ working conditions.
In a press release, TEWU cited several grievances, including the failure of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) to implement agreed Vehicle Maintenance and Off-Campus allowances. Although the Ministry of Finance approved these allowances in August 2024, the CAGD has yet to act.
TEWU also expressed frustration over the government’s unfulfilled promise to recalculate and pay members’ Tier Two pension interest, which has accrued from delayed payments dating back to 2010. Additionally, the government has not regularly remitted Tier Two pension deductions to the union’s pension scheme, with arrears from January 2024 still outstanding.
The strike follows a similar industrial action initiated by the SSA-UoG on Monday, September 16, 2024, after months of unaddressed demands.
The combined strike is expected to disrupt operations at public and technical universities across Ghana, as TEWU urges its members to stand firm until their concerns are resolved.
TEWU has called on the government to address these issues urgently, warning that failure to do so will prolong the strike and risk significant disruptions to the academic calendar.
The union has reiterated its commitment to securing a dignified retirement for its members and ensuring that their hard-earned benefits are delivered promptly and fairly.
Read the entire statement below;
