Colleges of Education face closure as staff threaten strike

Academic work in all 46 Colleges of Education in Ghana could be disrupted as their staff threaten to lay down their tools in the next five days.

The leaders of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) and the Colleges of Education Non-Teaching Staff Association of Ghana (CENTSAG) say their action is in response to the government’s failure to address their welfare issues.

They claim to be disappointed at “the way Government has handled issues affecting the welfare of our members in the colleges of education over the years.”

Some of the issues include non-finalisation of Conditions of Service (CoS) negotiations, unilateral determination of April 2023 by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) as the effective date for placing First Degree Holders of CENTSAG on 17H on the SSSS, undue delay by the Ministry of Education in responding to our request for payment of compensation among others.

In a joint communiqué issued on November 6 and copied to dailymailgh.com, the staff gave the government five working days to address the concerns or risk a strike.

CETAG and CENTSAG insisted that “by Friday, 11th November 2022 if our demands have not been met, we shall reactivate our indefinite strike actions which we suspended on January 24 and April 14, 2022, respectively.”

Strike in education institutions

There appears to be widespread agitation amongst workers in state-run educational institutions.

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) together with the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), and Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA).

The union has complained that the agreed Conditions of Service of University Workers by the Employer were not being adhered to.

“It is a trite principle of law that when parties enter into an agreement, the agreement must be performed in good faith,” the Union said in a statement.

UTAG also said the National Labour Commission has not been reasonable in its rulings. It felt the NLC should “have no difficulty in making a definite order against the Employer to pay amounts on figures agreed and established by convention.”

Teacher unions in pre-tertiary schools on strike

Teachers in pre-tertiary schools have also boycotted classes. The three striking Teacher Unions have resolved to continue their ongoing industrial action after an inconclusive meeting with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.

The leadership of the Unions – the National Association of Graduate Teachers, Ghana National Association of Teachers, and Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana- declared a strike on Friday, November 4, 2022.

The industrial action comes after the expiration of an ultimatum the Unions gave the government to rescind its decision on the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah, the new Director-General of the Ghana Education Service.

Following the ultimatum, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations called the Unions to a meeting on notice of the strike on Friday, November 04, 2022.

The meeting was inconclusive and was thus rescheduled to Monday, November 07, 2022.

The Reverend Isaac Owusu, President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, said they were hoping to have a favourable response on Monday, November 07, 2022.

He said they would report to their members on the meeting outcome as they await the next meeting on Monday.

Rev. Owusu stressed that they were hopeful that their concerns would be considered.

Mr. Bright Wireko-Brobbey, Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, said the Ministry was hopeful that the matter would be settled amicably.

He urged the Unions to call off the strike as they engage.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES