TEWU elects first female chairperson

The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU of TUC-Ghana) has elected Salamatu Mahamah Braimah, as its first female National Chairperson after 65 years of existence.

Until her election, Madam Braimah, who is Deputy Registrar at the Accra Technical University, was the union’s Second National Vice Chairperson. 
She succeeds Ambrose Yao Kwadzodza.

Also in the elections, the Chief Finance Officer of the union, King James Azortibah, was also elected the new General Secretary to take over from Mark Dankyira Korankye, while the immediate past Deputy General Secretary, Charles Kofi Osei, was retained.

Conference

The elections took place at the 13th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of TEWU of TUC-Ghana, which was held at the Pentecost Convention Centre at Gomoa Fetteh near Kasoa in the Central Region.

At the event, Madam Olivia Oparebia Obuobi and Ken Botchway were elected as the Second National Vice Chairperson and Second National Trustee respectively. Two others, Richmond Sakyi and Madam Fati Bintu Adamu were elected unopposed for the positions of First National Vice Chairman and the First National Trustee respectively.

The new National Officers of TEWU of TUC-Ghana, took their oath of office, administered by the Deputy TUC Secretary General, Joshua Ansah. He charged them to uphold the trust and confidence reposed in them by the members and not do anything that would disappoint the membership of the union and the trade union movement in general.  

Mr Ansah also entreated the membership to rally behind the new leaders to enable them to achieve their desired goals for the next quadrennial and beyond.

Transformation through  inclusivity

In a brief acceptance speech on behalf of her colleagues, Madam Braimah said TEWU was poised to position itself for rapid transformation aimed at securing enhanced working conditions for members.  

Later in an interview with journalists, Madam Braimah promised that leadership would work towards inclusivity, improvement in the union’s visibility through innovative programmes and projects and sustain a vibrant union, where meeting the legitimate demands of the TEWU members would be non-negotiable.

“For the next four years, we want to transform the union so we are looking at the membership. We want to be able to satisfy them so that we can keep them intact and even attract new ones.

“Currently, we are facing a lot of breakaways and we want to make the union more attractive so that we can retain and attract new members,” she said. She said leadership wanted the rank and the file to enjoy the dues that were being deducted.

“We are encouraging all-inclusiveness, we want to organise capacity-building workshops for members. We want to enhance communication and improve the visibility of the union and there are strategies in place to make it more visible,” she said.

Social partners

The newly elected General Secretary, Mr Azortibah said the leadership was ready to constructively engage its social partners but cautioned employers that they should not come to the negotiation table adopting the business-as-usual approach with the new TEWU national officers.

He indicated that the new leadership of TEWU of TUC-Ghana, would not hesitate to call members to action to push for what was legitimately due them if there were delay tactics during negotiations on the demands of members.