In a noteworthy development amidst ongoing discord between the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and Colleges of Education Teachers Association (CETAG), the Commission has made a bold move by directing the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to halt the payment of July 2024 salaries for all striking teaching staff of CETAG, with the exception of College Principals.
This directive comes as a retaliatory measure in light of the persistent strike action undertaken by CETAG members since June this year.
The primary grievance fueling this industrial action is the perceived delays on the part of the government in implementing the arbitral award and agreed-upon service conditions.
In a formal communication addressed to the Accountant General’s Department on Monday, July 22, GTEC underscored, “At the instance of the Minister of Education regarding the non-compliance of CETAG staff to discontinue an unauthorized strike from June 2024, you are hereby instructed to suspend the salaries of all instructional staff within the Colleges of Education, excluding College Principals for July 2024.”
Furthermore, GTEC issued a categorical directive stating, “College Principals are instructed not to approve the July 2024 salaries of teaching staff.”
However, in response to this pronounced escalation, the leadership of CETAG has vehemently opposed any attempts aimed at freezing their members’ salaries, vowing to vehemently resist such purportedly move.
They have made it unequivocally clear that they will intensify their strike action until the governmental commitments regarding the arbitral award and service conditions are fulfilled as per prior agreements.
Notably, CETAG has asserted the legitimacy of its strike and pointed fingers at the National Labour Commission, accusing the entity of disseminating misleading narratives concerning their actions, thereby seeking to substantiate their stance on the matter.
By Vincent Kubi