The President of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), Maxwell Bunu, says they have been treated unfairly for years, and for that reason, they have no other option than to embark on a nationwide strike action.
CETAG has threatened a nationwide strike if the government fails to implement the National Labour Commission’s arbitral award by October 31, 2025.
The Association is demanding the payment of outstanding allowances, including the 2023/2024 Book and Research Allowance arrears and the top-up of the 2022 Book and Research Allowance for staff of Akrokerri College of Education.
Mr. Bunu noted that the only language the government understands now is strike, and as an association, they will have no option but to strike.
“The government has reneged on its promise to pay us our 2023 and 2024 allowances. This money is actually contingent on our migration to the University Salary Structure, and on 20 April this year, GTEC had agreed with us in principle to collate data and submit this data to the Ministry of Finance so that they would add this money to our Book and Research Allowance of 2025 so that they pay it together. Unfortunately, GTEC did not go by the promise they made. They did not submit this data on time, and later,after it was submitted, the Ministry of Finance is dragging its feet to release the money for us to be paid.”
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he stated that there are other issues.
He indicated that the government has also failed in honouring the binding arbitral award issued by the NLC on May 2, 2023, which sought to resolve longstanding compensation grievances among tutors in Colleges of Education.
He further touched on their all-year-round work compensation due them for additional duties they performed, noting that only seven colleges were paid, with 39 still outstanding. He also raised the issue of the downgrading of CETAG members who have been working for over 25 years, with some due for retirement.
“We have submitted some of these issues before the National Labour Commission (NLC) pending hearing…these delays represent a breach of trust and a disregard for labour laws. We think that it is about time we draw the nation’s attention to the way we are being treated unfairly. So at the end of this month, if these issues are not resolved, we will advise ourselves so that by the seventh of November, all Colleges of Education will be on strike and no lecturer will go to the lecture hall to teach.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
