CETAG to strike Aug 1 over conditions of service
Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has served notice of their intentions to withdraw services effective August 1, 2023. Their decision follows the non-compliance of the government to implement the National Labour Commission’s Arbitral Award Orders and the negotiated conditions of service since May 2, 2023.
In January, teachers at the 46 Colleges of Education across the country embarked on an indefinite strike after the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission protracted negotiations for new conditions of service for more than a year. The industrial action was eventually called off following interventions by the National Labour Commission which subsequently saw the introduction of compulsory arbitral orders for new conditions of service for CETAG. 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 26th May, 2023 for approval and implementation.
However, the agreed negotiations between the two parties have since not materialized despite several letters of notice to the Ministry of Finance. The Association says the Ministry of Finance has ‘deliberately prolonged’ implementations of the agreements. Surprisingly, the Ministry of Finance has refused to act on Fair Wages and Salaries Commission’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 Conditions of Service in this biting economy of Ghana. The Association says if the government fails to implement the negotiations by the close of July, they will be forced to lay down their tools until demands are heeded.
There is a good reason why you should support the African Editors. Not everyone can afford to pay for news right now. That is why we keep our journalism open for everyone to read, including in Ghana. If this is you, please continue to read for free. But if you are able to, then there are three good reasons to support us today.
1. Our quality, journalism is a scrutinising force at a time when the rich and powerful are getting away with more and more.
2. We are independent and have no billionaire owner pulling the strings, so your money directly powers our reporting.
3. It doesn’t cost much, and takes less time than it took to read this message.
Help power the African Editors' journalism for the years to come, whether with a small sum or a larger one. If you can, please support us on a monthly basis from just 1 Ghana Cedi through mobile money number: 0599896099/ +23359989609 and you can be rest assured that you’re making a big impact every single month in support of open, independent journalism. Thank you.
