The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has justified its directive to freeze the July salaries of striking members of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), excluding college principals.
CETAG has been engaged in an indefinite strike since June 14, demanding the implementation of their arbitral award and negotiated service conditions. This strike has disrupted operations across all 46 colleges of education in Ghana.
In response, GTEC directed the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to withhold salaries, citing teachers’ need to validate their presence at work to receive payment.
Director General of GTEC, Prof Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, explained to Citi News that the salary freeze was a logical consequence of CETAG members’ absence from classrooms for over a month. He emphasized the standard requirement for validation of presence at the workplace before salaries can be processed.
Furthermore, Prof Abdulai addressed the issue of migration onto university schemes of service, assuring that all staff and faculty would be uniformly migrated to their affiliate universities’ scheme of service, thus resolving any perceived discrimination.
He urged CETAG members to end their strike and return to work, highlighting the government’s commitment to addressing their demands.
“We use what we call a salary. It would help if you were validated before you are paid. That validation is informed by your presence at your workplace,” Prof Abdulai stated, underscoring the straightforward rationale behind the salary freeze.
The director general reiterated GTEC’s call for CETAG to reconsider its strike action, emphasizing the importance of resolving the ongoing impasse through constructive dialogue.
