Some grassroots members of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) are threatening to go on strike over the government’s failure to implement the National Labour Commission’s arbitral awards aimed at improving the working conditions of college teachers.
The group expressed frustration that the government has not fulfilled its commitments despite over a year of negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, which ultimately led to mandatory arbitration by the National Labour Commission.
This perceived inaction has prompted the members to prepare for a strike.
The group also criticized CETAG leadership, accusing them of aligning too closely with the government and undermining members’ demands.
At a press conference on Tuesday, October 30, the group’s National Public Relations Officer, Suleman Mohammed Mustapha, announced that if their demands, including migration to the same salary structure as university lecturers, are not met, they will strike on November 8, 2024.
“The arbitral awards were granted two years ago and are nearing expiration. We went on a 72-day indefinite strike, which was called off following the Vice President’s intervention and an MOU promising us migration to the university salary structure by October. Yet, no official has addressed this issue,” he said.
Mustapha emphasized the pay disparity, explaining that teachers at universities with equivalent qualifications earn significantly more.
“In public universities, even the lowest rank earns more than a chief tutor, the highest rank in colleges of education. This stark inequality is a glaring injustice against college lecturers. We demand to know why the government underpays qualified lecturers like us,” he stated.
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