The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has denied reports that its Chief Executive, Dr. George Smith-Graham, said teachers participating in the ongoing strike would have their salaries deducted for each day they remain off work.
The Commission said the remarks attributed to Dr. Smith-Graham were false and urged the public and media to disregard the reports and any conclusions based on them.
In a statement signed by FWSC Head of Public Affairs, Emelia Ennin, the Commission clarified that the alleged comments did not reflect the position of either Dr. Smith-Graham or the Commission regarding the industrial action by the three pre-tertiary teacher unions.
“The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission wishes to state that our Chief Executive did not make the comments attributed to him in the said media report,” the statement said.
“The FWSC therefore respectfully appeals to the public and the media to disregard the purported comments and any conclusions drawn from them, as they do not represent a statement made by the Chief Executive or a position taken by the Commission in relation to the ongoing teachers’ strike.”
The FWSC said its engagement with the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) remains focused on negotiations to resolve outstanding issues concerning their collective agreement and conditions of service.
The Commission met the leadership of the three unions on Tuesday, October 6, with Dr. Smith-Graham chairing the discussions. The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to review the unions’ concerns and demands.
Dr. Smith-Graham said the discussions would resume after the Commission had consulted further with relevant stakeholders on the issues raised by the unions. He also praised the union leaders for conducting the meeting peacefully.
The engagement is part of the government’s efforts to resolve the nationwide strike, which began on Monday, September 28.
The FWSC was tasked with leading the next phase of negotiations following an emergency meeting between Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu and the three unions.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue and good-faith negotiations to achieve a sustainable resolution.
“The Commission acknowledges the importance of the concerns raised by the unions and believes that continued dialogue and good-faith negotiations remain critical to resolving the issues,” it said.
The FWSC has urged the public and media to rely on verified information from the Commission and other authorised sources for updates on the negotiations.
