The College of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) says it will not comply with the directive issued by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to call off its ongoing strike.

This comes after the Commission criticised CETAG's decision to embark on the industrial action; labelling it as an act of bad faith in light of the government's efforts to address their grievances.

• Read also: CETAG declares indefinite strike; 46 public colleges to suffer

The strike, announced during the week, affects all 46 public colleges of education in Ghana.

However, the Commission had highlighted that government is actively working to resolve CETAG's concerns, making the timing of the strike unhelpful. 

As a result, CETAG had been instructed to end the strike immediately while discussions continue to address their demands.

• Read also: Your strike is in bad faith; call it off now – FWSC to CETAG

But in an interview on Citi FM, the President of CETAG, Prince Obeng-Himah, said the Association has not erred.

“…It is a legal action we have taken to protect our economic rights and that is enshrined in the labour act which is under the 1992 constitution. We haven’t erred in any way. The law is on our side.

“We can tell our people that the law is on our side, they should rally behind leadership. Let’s carry through with the process until such a time that the gov't complies,” he stressed.

Background

The Colleges of Education Teacher's Association of Ghana (CETAG), announced its decision to embark on an indefinite strike starting Friday, June 14.

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.

In a statement issued on June 14, 2024, CETAG emphasised that the strike is intended to safeguard the economic rights of its members as outlined in Article 24(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and Section 10 (a) and (b) of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651). 

The association stressed the importance of upholding these legal and constitutional protections.

CETAG, therefore, urged its members to withdraw from teaching and related services indefinitely until their grievances are addressed. 

“CETAG wishes to call on every member to immediately comply with this declaration by withdrawing teaching and related services indefinitely across all 46 public colleges of education until all the orders arising from the Compulsory Arbitration Awards and related concerns are fully implemented by way of payments to our members and implementations thereof. Thank you.”