CETAG threatens strike over non-implementation of Compulsory Arbitration awards

Teachers of the 46 public Colleges of Education in Ghana have given the government up to 31st May 2024 to implement all the outstanding Compulsory Arbitration awards as directed by the National Labour Commission (NLC) on 2nd May 2023 to prevent further industrial disturbances.

The umbrella body of the teachers, the Colleges of Education Teacher Association of Ghana (CETAG) made the demand at a Press Conference on 22 April 2024 at the Accra College of Education in Accra.

According to the association, they will keep engaging the media till 31st May 2024, after which the association will advise its members on the strike action.

The Compulsory Arbitration awards that CETAG is demanding its implementation include; An ORDER that payment of one month's salary based on the respondent’s (CETAG’s) proposed salary grade shall be paid to each of its entitled members as compensation for additional duty performed in the year 2022, An ORDER that the agreed rates of payable public universities shall be applied to deserving members of the Respondents (CETAG), and An ORDER that the implementation of the staff completed staff audit exercise shall commerce 1st January 2023.

The President of CETAG, Mr. Prince Oben-Himah who addressed the media revealed that the members in August 2023, embarked on an indefinite strike to remind the government of the NLC’s Compulsory Arbitration awards in a matter filed by Fair Wages and Salary Commission (FWSC), however, their employer declined to comply with NLC’s directive.

He continued that CETAG wrote several letters to NLC to inform the Commission about the action of their employer and requested the Commission to head to the High Court to cause their employer to comply with section 72 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) but that the Commission is acting reluctantly.

“The Commission merely wrote to CETAG to say that it had referred the matter to its legal team to act on without any further action to date. Since then, CETAG has written several reminders to the NLC and copied her in all letters sent to our Employers asking for the immediate implementation of the Compulsory Arbitration awards but the Commission is yet to take appropriate action against our Employer,” the statement read.

Mr. Prince Oben-Himah also asserted that the government froze the August 2023 salary of members of CETAG for proceeding on the strike and has yet not paid the salary of some of the members after the NLC intervened to call off the strike which CETAG heeded to the advice.

Among other grievances, he added that teachers of Colleges of Education who hold the same qualifications as colleagues in the public universities have not been paid the same remuneration and allowances due them as ordered by NLC.

Regarding payment of all-year-round compensation, it was established that PRINCOF had submitted data required for the payment to GTEC twice, however, GTEC representatives revealed that the data cannot be traced, hence, FWSC has directed PRINCOF to resubmit the data to GTEC by Monday 22nd April 2024 and copy FWSC.

Mr. Himah disclosed that; “As part of the implementation of the Compulsory awards, our Employer was to pay a top-up for research allowance for 2022/2023 academic year to deserving members but to date, GTEC has failed to ensure allowances are paid.”

Mr. Prince Oben-Himah has therefore called on the President of the Republic of Ghana, the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice, and the Chairman of the National Peace Council to entreat their employer to implement the awards and pay other allowances as agreed upon with NLC.