The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has written to the Controller and Accountant General (CAGD) to withhold the July remuneration of members of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana, (CETAG).
A press release issued on July 22 noted that the action will affect the teaching staff of all the Colleges of Education.
“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 except for the College Principals for July 2024,” the statement reads.
It added, “by this letter, College Principals are not to validate the July 2024 salaries of all teaching staff.”
On June 14, teachers in the various colleges of education laid down their tools, demanding better working conditions and remuneration packages.
This was in response to the government’s delay in implementing the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) Arbitral Award Orders and negotiated service conditions.
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.
This strike has affected all 46 public colleges of education nationwide.
According to the leadership of CETAG, the strike aims to put pressure on the government to fulfill these commitments.
Due to this strike, the academic calendar has been interrupted and students are waiting anxiously for the resumption of classes.
The National Labour Commission (NLC) secured an interlocutory injunction to halt the ongoing strike by CETAG.
Despite an NLC directive on June 20 to end the strike, CETAG continued, leading to a hearing where the Commission announced plans to sue the government to enforce the arbitral award in CETAG’s favour.
Meanwhile, the leadership of CETAG on today-Monday held an emergency meeting to review strategies and evaluate the next steps as the prolonged strike enters the sixth week.
