The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has entreated the three teacher unions currently on a nationwide strike to call off the industrial action and return to the negotiation table.

The unions comprise of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT-Gh).

In a press statement issued on Wednesday, March 20, the unions stated that their intent to embark on 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.

“Thus, the new Collective Agreement stands un-negotiated and we raised this concern in our letter to the Director General GES, dated February 29th, 2024 and also informed the National Labour Commission. As we gather here now, the issue is still outstanding,” part of the statement said.

But the Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Ing Benjamin Arthur insists that negotiations are underway to address the unions’ grievances.

According to him, "we have been engaging them over a period concerning some requests that they placed before the employer for negotiations”.

“We’re committed, willing and open to engage, and we’ve demonstrated that by inviting them.

“If what they [the Teacher Unions] have cited as delays is anything to go by, then the strike is really what’s going to cause the delay, because we’ve made tremendous progress.”

“We were expectant that Thursday by 1400 hours [2:00pm] at least, we should be able to conclude the negotiation,” he stated.

He further explained that the Commission had recently received funds from the Ministry of Finance to facilitate wage negotiations.