The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has written a letter to the Controller & Accountant-General’s Department, directing the office to stop payment of July salaries to all teaching staff of the Colleges of Education who belong to the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG).
The GTEC, in a letter signed by the Head of Institutional Planning and Programme Development (IPPD), Nicholas Ameyaw, informed the Controller & Accountant-General that CETAG members do not deserve to receive their July salaries as they acted in deviance to the Minister of Education’s directive to call off an illegal strike from June 2024.
“At the instance of the Minister of Education on the non-adherence of CETAG members to call off an illegal strike from June 2024, you are by this letter requested to stop the salaries of all teaching staff of the Colleges of Education (CETAG) except for the College Principals for July 2024,” Mr. Ameyaw stated.
The GTEC further directed the Principals of all Colleges not to validate the July 2024 salaries of all teaching staff.
It is important to note that the National Labour Commission (NLC) on 13th July 2024, approximately one month into the CETAG strike, obtained an interlocutory injunction to halt the ongoing strike by 20th June; but the teachers defied the order, stating that they could not be intimidated. This provided the basics on which GTEC is declaring their strike illegal, hence the stoppage of salaries.
The CETAG strike
It would be recalled that CETAG announced a strike action on Friday, June 14, 2024, protesting the government’s delay in implementing the arbitral award and negotiated service conditions, including market premium, responsibility allowance and research allowance.
Specifically, CETAG’s demands include the payment of one month’s salary to each member for additional duties performed in 2022 and the application of agreed rates of allowances payable to public universities to deserving CETAG members.
CETAG emergency meeting and response to salary freeze
The leadership of the CETAG has held an emergency meeting addressed by its President, Prince Obeng-Himang, who stated that members will remain on strike until all outstanding concerns are addressed.
He warned that it will resist any illegal attempts to freeze members’ salaries, vowing to intensify its indefinite strike until the arbitral award and negotiated service conditions are implemented.
CETAG insists its strike is legal and accused the National Labour Commission of misinforming the public about its actions. It also debunked the claim that some members have received arrears for the Book and Research Allowance for the 2022/2023 academic year.
“The first of such misinformation was put across by GTEC two weeks ago that the government had paid CETAG members an amount of GH¢199million as arrears for Book and Research Allowance for the 2022/2023 academic year. The fact is that as of today, Monday, 22nd July, 2024, the government has not paid any such money to members of CETAG.
“The second misinformation being peddled by some Principals of Colleges of Education to students is that the affiliate universities shall conduct quizzes and examinations for the students whether the students are taught by the lecturers or not. This information is completely false because per the attendance policy of all the affiliate universities, a student cannot take an examination if he or she forfeits lectures/classes for more than 21 days.”
Impact of strike thus far
Students of the 46 colleges of education in Ghana are facing an unprecedented crisis as the strike by the CETAG enters its sixth week, bringing all academic activities to a halt.
The trainees are calling on the government, stakeholders and all Ghanaians to help resolve the impasse, which has left them stranded and uncertain about their futures. They indicated that examinations were supposed to start next week but as it stands their fate is in limbo.
“We are in limbo, unsure whether to stay on campus or return home. Our academic progress is stalled, jeopardising our future as qualified teachers. The financial burden is affecting our mental health and well-being,” the Coalition of Concerned Teacher Trainees, Ghana said in a statement.
They are also contemplating a nationwide peaceful protest if the industrial strike action by CETAG remains unresolved.
