Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Adutwum, has appealed to the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) to reconsider its plan to resume their strike action, following government’s failure to implement the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) Arbitral Award Orders and the negotiated conditions of service.
The Minister has urged CETAG to pursue dialogue rather than strike, citing potential Academic Calendar disruption.
In January 2023, CETAG embarked on an indefinite strike action after the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) protracted negotiations for new conditions of service for more than a year.
The strike was however called off following interventions by the National Labour Commission.
A compulsory arbitral order birthed a new condition of service for CETAG agreed by government.
However, in a press release dated Monday, July 10, 2023, CETAG demonstrated that the agreed negotiations between the two parties have not been implemented despite several letters of notice to the Ministry of Finance.
“Following the NLC’s compulsory Arbitral Award, the parties proceeded to sign off the negotiation agreement, which has been communicated to the Ministry of Finance by the FWSC since May 26, 2023, for approval and implementation.
Surprisingly, the MoF has refused to act on FWSC’s letter together with the NLC’s Arbitral ORDERS in spite of letters to the MoF requesting immediate implementation of the negotiated agreements. Practically, CETAG members cannot continue to survive on expired 2020 CoS in this biting economy of Ghana,” the statement read.
CETAG, therefore, said it will be forced to lay down tools by end of July if government fails to honour its part of the negotiation.
Additionally, it will not continue with the all-year-round academic calendar for 2023/2024 year.
However, the Minister of Education has appealed to CETAG in a speech read on his behalf by Mr. Yayara Dzakadzi, Director of Tertiary Education at the Ministry during the 13th congregation by SDA College of Education in Koforidua.
“Mr. Chairman I wish to use this platform to appeal to the colleges of education teachers association of Ghana to engage the ministry further on the implementation of the negotiated allowances for its members rather on going on strike which will end up disrupting the academic calendar,” he pleaded.
Book and Research Allowance
The Education Minister announced Government has processed an amount of over 32 million Ghana Cedis for the first batch of book and research allowance payable to eligible Senior Members of Public Tertiary Institutions across the country.
He further stated that the government is indeed leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the smooth operations of the Colleges of Education in the Country to prepare them for brighter future.
In light of this, government has released an amount of 241,913,000 Ghana Cedis for the payment of trainees allowance in the Country.
The Minister also said some Colleges of Education have qualified to be converted into full-fledged universities in the coming months.