We won’t comply with your directive; go to court – CETAG tells FWSC

The College of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has resolutely declared that it will not comply with the directive issued by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to terminate its ongoing strike.

In a decisive stance, CETAG has challenged the FWSC to initiate legal proceedings if it intends to enforce government compliance with its duties.

On Friday, June 14, 2024, CETAG announced an indefinite cessation of work, citing the government’s procrastination in executing the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) Arbitral Award Orders and agreed-upon service conditions.

The FWSC demanded that CETAG immediately halt its strike. The Commission characterised CETAG’s action as a betrayal of trust, especially considering the government’s attempts to resolve their issues.

Addressing the media in Accra on Friday, Benjamin Arthur, the CEO of the FWSC, remarked, “The government has shown a spirit of cooperation because we are convinced that it is of mutual benefit, and it will advantage our nation to at least make some concessions for our peers instructing at the colleges of Education. The government’s intentions are sincere.”

“Therefore, we implore them to return to their teaching duties. The strike is founded on mistrust.”

Conversely, Prince Obeng-Himah, the President of CETAG, in a conversation with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Friday, asserted that the strike represents a lawful measure taken to safeguard their constitutional rights.

“…It is a legal action we have taken to protect our economic rights and that is enshrined in the labour act which is under the 1992 constitution. We haven’t erred in any way. The law is on our side.

“We can tell our people that the law is on our side, they should rally behind leadership. Let’s carry through with the process until such a time that the govt complies.”