Tamale, June 16, GNA - Mrs Elizabeth De-Souza, Northern Regional Director of Education has reiterated the call on teachers to take advantage of the long distance courses being offered by the universities to upgrade themselves.

This, she said would enable them to become abreast of the new wave of technologies in the education sector. She stressed the need for teachers to improve upon their professional skills and competence, especially in the area of Information, Communication and Technology, which she said played a vital role in moulding the characte= r of the future leaders of the nation and more importantly in building the human capital needed for the country's economic development. Mrs De-Souza said this in an address read on her behalf at the 10th Quadrennial Regional Delegates Conference of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trade Union Congress in Tamale on Wednesday. The Regional Director appealed to teachers to eschew negative practice= s such as lateness to school and drunkenness in order to protect the hard won reputation of the teaching profession.

Mr Peter Lumor, National President of the TEWU observed that recent developments in industrial relations front had changed, especially the way negotiations were done and said this had necessitated the need for the leadership of organised labour to update themselves to enable them make proactive decisions.

He said with the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS), the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) had introduced a new system of negotiating salaries and conditions of service, many of which had become centralised and urged workers to become conversant with these new developments. Mrs Johanna Hammond, National President of TEWU's Women's Committe= e said the Union would continue to ensure that the salary structure under the SSSS grew by negotiating improved base pay and pay relativity every year. She said organised labour had already submitted proposals on the base pay and pay point relativity for 2011 to the FWSC.

Mrs Hammond urged women to strive to improve upon their professional skills and also engage in income generating activities to augment their salaries. She said it was only through these outlets that they could become economically empowered and independent.