The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union of the Trades Union Congress (TEWU-TUC) has issued a strong rebuke of the recent industrial action declared by the Tertiary Education Workers’ Union, Ghana (TEWU-GH), describing it as unlawful, disruptive, and a challenge to Ghana’s industrial relations framework.
In a statement signed by its General Secretary, King James Azortibah, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, TEWU-TUC accused TEWU-GH—a breakaway group—of flouting established labour laws and undermining union governance by initiating an unapproved strike on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
The union contended that TEWU-GH’s actions violate the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), which outlines the legal procedures and requirements for union activity, particularly in matters of representation and collective bargaining. TEWU-TUC maintains that it remains the sole legally mandated union authorized to represent educational workers in Ghana’s public universities.
“This reckless attempt to usurp legitimate representation poses a serious threat to industrial peace and reflects a dangerous disregard for due process,” the statement read. It further accused TEWU-GH of resorting to “public disorder and lawlessness” as a substitute for lawful union engagement.
According to TEWU-TUC, the legitimacy of its mandate has been clearly affirmed by two key state bodies: the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). A letter from the FWSC dated August 2, 2023, confirms TEWU-TUC as the holder of the collective bargaining certificate for public university workers, while a June 18, 2025, directive from GTEC reaffirmed its role on the governing councils of public traditional universities.
GTEC has since advised all public universities to formally recognize and install TEWU-TUC’s representatives and disregard any parallel claims from TEWU-GH.
TEWU-TUC called on its members across the country to remain calm and focused, urging them not to be swayed by what it describes as a campaign of confusion and illegitimacy. “Members must not allow their trust and loyalty to be manipulated for purposes that only serve the narrow interests of an unrecognized group,” the union said.
The statement reiterated TEWU-TUC’s commitment to lawful engagement with stakeholders to safeguard the rights and welfare of its members, while promising continued advocacy for improved working and living conditions within the education sector.
The development underscores the growing tensions within the labour movement in the tertiary education space, and raises questions about union fragmentation, governance, and the enforcement of labour law in Ghana’s public sector institutions.
