The National Labour Commission (NLC) has successfully obtained a court injunction that prohibits teacher unions in Ghana from continuing their nationwide strike.
The NLC took legal action against the unions after attempts to persuade them to return to work proved unsuccessful.
SEE ALSO: Government and Striking Teacher Unions Negotiations Fail to Reach Conclusion
The High Court issued the ruling on Thursday, March 28, stipulating that the teacher unions, comprising the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), are restrained from further carrying out their strike, which began on March 20, 2024.
The strike was initiated by the teacher unions due to their alleged dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of their working conditions.
Among their concerns were the withholding of teachers’ salaries, changes to timetables without consulting the unions, and delays in the distribution of laptops to teachers.
SEE ALSO: Teacher Unions to Continue Strike Until Demands Are Met
The National President of GNAT, Isaac Owusu, voiced these grievances during a press conference announcing the strike.
He specifically highlighted the distribution of laptops to teachers and the frequent changes to the school calendar as major concerns.
Owusu also criticized the Office of the Special Prosecutor for blocking teachers’ salaries without following proper procedures.
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The NLC, in a statement issued by its Chairperson, Justice Kwabena Asuman-Adu, ordered the teacher unions to revoke their strike decision.
However, the unions failed to comply, leading to the court’s intervention.
Section 133 (1) of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) grants the NLC the authority to issue such orders, compelling GNAT, NAGRAT, and CCT to abandon their strike, as declared on March 20, 2024, through various media networks in the country
