Ignatius Baffuor Awuah
The Ministry of Labour and Employment Relations (MLER) has invited the leadership of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association Ghana (CETAG) and other stakeholders to a crucial meeting on Monday to address the concerns of CETAG members who have been on a nationwide strike for two months.
The meeting, scheduled for Monday morning at the MLER, aims to find a solution to the strike, which has brought academic activities to a halt at all the 46 Colleges of Education in the country.
In addition to CETAG leadership, other stakeholders invited to the meeting include representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF), and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
The strike, which began on June 14, 2024, is over the government’s delay in implementing the National Labour Commission’s Arbitral Award and negotiated service conditions for CETAG members.
Key demands include payment of one month’s salary for additional duties performed in 2022 and application of agreed rates of allowances payable to public universities.
The impasse has severely impacted teaching and learning, prompting the College of Education Students Association to propose closure of the colleges until the issue is resolved.
However, the government has rejected this proposal, citing a breakthrough in negotiations with CETAG.
According to Prof. Samuel Atintono, President of PRINCOF, the academic calendar will be revised to restore normalcy as soon as CETAG members return to campus.
The meeting on Monday is expected to yield a resolution to the strike, enabling academic activities to resume at the affected colleges.
-BY Daniel Bampoe