Teacher unions to meet Education Minister on Tuesday amid strike

As the Minister of Education prepares to meet with several labour unions in the education sector on Tuesday, October 1, doubts are growing among union leaders regarding the potential for meaningful outcomes.

The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), and the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) are currently on strike over various demands, causing significant disruptions to the academic calendar.

The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission has promised to address the grievances raised by the unions, but labour experts are urging the government to act quickly to meet their demands to prevent further harm to the education system.

The unions have made it clear that they will not return to work until all their concerns are addressed. George Ansong, National Chairman of the SSA-UoG, expressed skepticism about the upcoming meeting with the Ministry of Education in an interview, citing slow responses from relevant authorities.

He emphasized the need for clear communication and concrete updates from the Ministry of Finance, stating concerns about the delay in addressing their demands. Salamatu Briamah, National Chairperson of TEWU, highlighted the unions’ expectations for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with specific timelines for implementing agreed-upon actions.

Michael Owusu Ansah, National President of GAUA, criticized the current approach to addressing the unions’ concerns as inadequate, emphasizing the need for tangible changes rather than just appeals to end the strike.

Overall, the union leaders remain cautious about the outcome of the meeting and are prepared to continue their strike until their demands are met with concrete actions.