CETAG Announces Imminent Strike Over Government Violations

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The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has issued an urgent notice to the government, declaring their intention to embark on an indefinite strike if outstanding debts are not settled by December 31, 2024.

This announcement follows an Emergency National Council meeting held on December 20, 2024, where CETAG expressed deep concern over the government’s continuous violation of signed agreements and roadmaps.

In a press release dated December 23, CETAG highlighted the employer’s failure to honor the compulsory arbitration award issued by the National Labour Commission (NLC) on May 2, 2023.

SEE ALSO: Reporting Date for Colleges of Education Freshers

Despite the Union’s decision to call off their strike action on August 20, 2024, based on appeals from key government officials, the government has failed to meet its obligations under the agreement reached with CETAG on August 19, 2024.

“As a result of these deliberate and incessant violations of signed agreements and roadmaps by the Government since May 2, 2023, we wish to once again serve notice of our intention to resort to another indefinite strike action per section 159 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651),” CETAG declared.

The National Council’s decision to proceed with the strike is based on several key issues:

  • The government’s failure to complete the migration of college of education teaching staff onto the affiliate universities’ pay structure within a period of 20 months.
  • The undue delay in paying the remaining forty-two colleges the one-month basic salary as compensation for all-year-round work done by CETAG members in 2022, as ordered by the NLC on May 2, 2023.
  • The non-payment of top-up of Book and research allowance for 2023 to staff of Akrokerri College of Education.

SEE ALSO: SHS Heads Threaten to Halt Reopening Over Unpaid Government Debts

According to CETAG, it has been reluctant to take this drastic step and has engaged with multiple stakeholders, including the Ministry of Employment, Labour Relations, and Pensions (MELRP), Ministry of Education (MoE), Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF), and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), in an attempt to resolve these issues. However, all efforts have proved futile.

“National Council wishes to reiterate that the Union shall no longer countenance further excuses and willful violation of the agreement signed between the parties by the Government. National Council shall proceed to declare another indefinite strike action per section 159 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) if the outstanding concerns are not addressed by Tuesday, December 31, 2024,” CETAG concluded.

SEE ALSO: Maxwell Bunu Elected CETAG National President

CETAG has urged all stakeholders in teacher education, including the Ministry of Education, GTEC, PRINCOF, affiliate universities, the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG), and the Education Sub-Committee of the Transition Teams from both outgoing and incoming administrations, to intervene and ensure the smooth migration of colleges of education teaching staff onto the affiliate universities’ pay structure to avoid disruption of the academic calendar.

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SEE ALSO: Colleges of Education Re-opening Date, Academic Calendar, and Matters Arising

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