The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has criticised the leadership of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers-Ghana (CCT-GH) for failing to comply with the country’s labour laws before embarking on strike.
The Commission’s Chief Executive, Benjamin Arthur, on JoyNews’ PM Express was disappointed that the industrial action was carried out without prior notice to relevant stakeholders including the FWSC and the National Labour Commission.
According to him, the leadership of these unions had not followed the necessary protocols before declaring the strike.
Thus, leading to what he termed as an “ambush” and surprise to all involved parties.
“The leadership of GNAT, NAGRAT, and CCT-GH failed to notify the employer, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission was not in the known, what was statutory of you to notify the National Labour Commission was also not done, and then all of a sudden, we’re ambushed, everybody is surprised,” he said on Monday.
He questioned the legality and governance of the country in such instances, drawing a parallel with hypothetical strikes in the private sector.
“In the private sector, if tomorrow, unknown to the employer or relevant stakeholders, all the staff decide to embark on a strike, how do we govern this country?” he quizzed.
On Wednesday, March 20, three teacher unions have declared a nationwide strike.
The industrial action stems from the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service’s delay in addressing their conditions of service. They stated that the negotiation of a new collective agreement should have been completed on or before February 29, 2024, but that was not done.
Meanwhile, students in over 500 public senior high schools will receive an iPad under the Ghana Smart School project.
Under this initiative, students will have access to e-learning materials as government commits to leveraging technological innovations to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
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