The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has declared an indefinite strike over the delay in paying outstanding arrears owed to its members and other concerns.
The association, in a statement dated June 3, 2024, stated that its members’ research allowances were in arrears, adding that the government had neglected a directive by the National Labour Commission (NLC) to honour the payments.
“NLC and the Ministry of Education have denied CETAG members what is due us based on the Compulsory Arbitration Award issued on 2nd May 2023 in violation of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which makes it obligatory for all state institutions to respect the rule of law”.
The statement further revealed that the salary of the national president of the association has been frozen since August 2023 and that some of its members have also not been paid without justifiable cause.
According to CETAG, the strike will not be called off until all concerns are addressed.
“We wish to state unequivocally that the union shall no longer countenance any further violations of our rights as workers by any authority under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. Therefore, we implore the NLC, the Ministry of Education and FWSC to uphold the Constitution of Ghana and the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).
“The union wishes to affirm our decision to proceed on strike by notifying our Employer that we will not call off our strike action until all the outstanding Compulsory Arbitration Awards and related concerns raised in this notice are settled through payments to our members”.
Barely a month ago, CETAG issued a deadline to the government to address their concerns.
The association expressed worry about the government’s reluctance to implement the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) Arbitral Award Orders and some negotiated service conditions.
Some of the demands CETAG mentioned include compensating each member with one month’s salary for additional duties performed in 2022, among other issues.
The National President of CETAG, Dr. Prince Obeng-Himah, speaking to some journalists on Monday, April 22, 2024, emphasised that failure to address their concerns by May 31 will compel the association to explore alternative actions.
“We would like to send a very strong signal and a message to our employer in unambiguous terms that we shall take our destinies into our own hands if, by 31st May 2024, all the outstanding compulsory arbitration awards as listed below are not fully implemented.
“We wish to call on the FWSC, GTEC, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relation, MoE, and the MoF to immediately comply with the NLC’s compulsory arbitration award orders in the supreme interest of industrial peace.
“We also call on the President of the Republic of Ghana, his excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, the speaker of Parliament of Ghana, the Chief Justice, and the Chairman of the National Peace Council to prevail on the employer to uphold the rule of law by complying with the NLC’s compulsory arbitration award orders issued on 2nd May 2023 to prevent any industrial disturbance,” he stated.