Ghana’s Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has announced significant strides in addressing the issues raised by the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), whose ongoing strike has disrupted educational services nationwide.
Speaking to journalists in Accra on Wednesday, July 24, after engaging with stakeholders, Dr Adutwum expressed confidence in the progress made, describing the government’s efforts as “giant strides” towards resolving the impasse.
The strike by CETAG ensued following the government’s decision to withhold their July salaries, prompting the association to withdraw all services in protest.
CETAG denounced the government’s directive to freeze their salaries, labelling it illegal and promptly seeking legal recourse.
“The leadership has instructed our legal team to take immediate action against the illegal directive to freeze our July salaries,” a statement from CETAG emphasized on July 23.
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), acting on behalf of the Ministry of Education, instructed the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to halt the salaries of all teaching staff at the 46 public colleges of education, except for the principals, citing CETAG’s refusal to comply with the National Labour Commission’s orders to end their strike.
The strike commenced on June 14, 2024, and stems from CETAG’s dissatisfaction with delays in implementing arbitration awards and negotiated service conditions.
In response to the strike, CETAG urged its members to cease all teaching and related services indefinitely until their demands are met.
The government’s latest efforts to address CETAG’s concerns mark a pivotal moment in the ongoing negotiations. The government hopes to restore normalcy to educational institutions affected by the dispute.
