The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), has called off its strike following a directive by the National Labour Commission (NLC).
CETAG commenced a protracted strike on August 1, citing the government’s failure to fulfil the NLC’s Arbitral Award Orders and the negotiated conditions of service since May 2, 2023, as the reason for their industrial action.
According to CETAG President Prince Obeng-Himah, the NLC has successfully urged the government to meet CETAG’s demands so the majority of members voted in favour of suspension of the strike.
Mr Obeng-Himah revealed that out of the 46 Colleges of Education, 32 voted in favour of halting the strike, representing a significant majority of 69.57%. As a result, CETAG has decided to call off the strike, signalling a positive step towards resolving the ongoing dispute.
The government has also taken steps to settle all arrears related to the conditions of service for CETAG members, except for the August salary, which was frozen by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) due to the strike.
However, the government has committed to disbursing the one-month compensation owed to CETAG members by October 2023.
“We have called off the strike and this follows a directive by the NLC last Wednesday. With regard to the opinion of the NLC, they have compelled the government to provide evidence of full compliance and providing them with a timeline for compliance. Some of them are in process and we have to call off the strike based on what the NLC has promised.
“We did not agree totally with the ruling but as a law-abiding institution, you go to court and you may not have it all, it is a win-win situation. It is not only about the allowances or condition of service issues that CETAG declared the strike action but all year-round compensation,” Mr Obeng-Himah said in a Joynews interview monitored by The Ghana Report.
CETAG members have, therefore, been instructed to resume their duties within their respective institutions following the strike’s cancellation.