Bolgatanga, Jan. 10, GNA - The General Secretary of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the TUC, Mr Dan Ayim Antwi, on Friday, called on the Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to recognise its auxiliary staff as important partners in the development of education.

He made the call at the Upper East Regional Delegates Conference of the Union in Bolgatanga, on the theme, "The New Educational Reform and Quality Educational - The Role of the Non-Teaching Personnel".

Mr Ayim Antwi noted that no educational institution could survive without the effective coordination of the Management, Teachers and Workers and stressed the need for closer link between them for the advancement of quality education and success of the educational reforms. "Management on their part must see employees as people with different specialties who need to be constituted into a team with the aim of achieving institutional goals", the TEWU General Secretary stated.

Mr Ayim Antwi called on the Management of the GES to expedite action on the payment expressed worry about the undue delay in the payment of responsibility allowance to members of the Union, which had been in arrears since 1999.

The General Secretary indicated that efforts by the Union to discuss the review of salaries, the setting up a Provident Fund and the payment of the responsibility allowance with the GES Management had proved futile.

He said the Union had written to the National Labour Commission outlining the posture of the GES Management, which had the potential of creating industrial unrest.

The Regional Director of Education, Mrs. Elizabeth Ayire Mwinkaar, commended members of TEWU for their invaluable services to the GES. She, however, deplored negative attitudes such as lateness, absenteeism, and alcoholism, pilfering, unprofessional handling of correspondence and the misuse of official time and urged them to change for the better.