The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) initiated an industrial action on June 14, 2024, demanding the full implementation of their outstanding Compulsory Arbitration Award issued by the NLC on 2nd May, 2023.
The strike was suspended on August 20, 2024, following meetings with the Office of the Vice President and the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR) on August 15 and 19, 2024, respectively.
These meetings promised to fulfill CETAG’s demands (Compulsory Arbitration Award) within a specified timeframe.
Several key outcomes were achieved from these meetings:
Migration to University Scheme: Both parties agreed to use the nomenclature, Scheme of Service, and Conditions of Service of CETAG’s affiliate universities for the migration of colleges. This was promised to be done before October, 2024.
Salary Payment: Salaries following the migration were agreed to be reflected in October 2024.
All Year-Round Compensation: The Ministry of Finance revealed it has completed the necessary groundwork for validated colleges and forwarded the information to the Ministry of Education for payment of their AYRW by the end of August, 2024.
SEE ALSO: CETAG Strike: Agreement Broken, Action Promised
However, information reaching Coleman Publications reveals that these promises remain unfulfilled.
Therefore, on December 2, 2024, the National Executive Officers of CETAG, consisting of Mr. Maxwell Bunu, Mr. Daniel Mensah Ofori, Mr. Fidelis Kamaayi, Dr. Nathaniel Atikumi, Ms. Afi E. Nutakor, and Mr. Messiah A. Morgan, met with stakeholders including the Ministry of Education, the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF), and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to address the issues.
Highlights from the meeting include:
FWSC stated that most errors in the migration data had been corrected, with the new data set to be sent to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) once a fresh warrant from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) is received.
The Minister of Education promised to facilitate the payment of AYRW compensation, as some colleges have already been paid.
CETAG representatives raised concerns about position-holding allowances being withdrawn by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) despite the migration not yet being implemented. The Minister tasked CETAG and the Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF) to collate data to facilitate the reinstatement of affected members.
The Minister emphasized the need for schools to reopen and continue academic work, contingent on resolving CETAG’s issues.
SEE ALSO: Colleges of Education Reopening Postponed to January
CETAG demanded an official communication from the Minister of Education regarding the implementation of migration data, which the Minister agreed to issue after final confirmation from the Technical Team.
However, CETAG’s leadership made it clear that members would not return to classrooms even in January 2025 if their migration data is not implemented.
The association called on stakeholders to push for the timely fulfillment of these promises to avoid further disruption of the academic calendar.