Teacher unions strike: Negotiate in good faith to meet demands for COLA – GNECC to govt

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Press Statement on Industrial Action Embarked on by the Teacher Unions

The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition is extremely concerned about the fact that all Teacher Unions in the pre-
tertiary education sector have begun an indefinite strike and are requesting government to pay them 20% Cost-of-Living-
Allowance (COLA) of their basic salary to augment their already low-level salaries in the face of high inflation, skyrocketing fuel
and food prices.

GNECC believes that if the government and other key stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations,
the Ministry of Finance, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service had
listened to the Teacher Unions long before now, the strike may have been averted. The Teacher Unions made multiple calls to
the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and the Ghana Education Service before embarking on this industrial action.
It must however be noted that, Ghana’s inflation which is currently around 27.6%, confirms the country’s high-level cost of
living. However, GNECC also recognized that other sectors of the economy’s current demands, make it difficult for government
to meet the needs made by the Teacher Unions. GNECC therefore appeals to government to negotiate with the Teacher
Unions in good faith in arriving at an appreciable COLA for the teachers.
Also, according to reliable information, engagements with the Teacher Unions and the key stakeholders in labour just
commenced on Wednesday, 6th July, 2022. GNECC is appealing to all the parties involved to take into consideration the best
interest of the child principle as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Children’s Act
560 in resolving the current impasse in the interest of the Ghanaian child towards our collective effort to achieve the
Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets.
Furthermore, GNECC encourage all parents and caregivers to provide support to their learners in supervising their learning
activities in preparation towards the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Senior School
Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

GNECC is therefore calling on the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, the Ministry of Finance, Fair Wages and
Salaries Commission, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to take immediate prudent action to address
and rectify these industrial issues whilst appealing to the Teacher Unions to resume work whiles negotiating their COLA and
other legitimate terms and conditions of service as enshrined in their Collective Agreement of 2020.

For any information or media discussion, please contact the National Coordinator Mrs. Bernice Mpere-Gyekye on 0242336386
or the National Programs Manager Mr. Festus Longmatey on 0244963430.

Signed:

Mr. Joseph Atsu Homadzi
National Chairman