CETAG Refuses Directive to End Strike, Challenges FWSC to Legal Action
The College of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has firmly declared its refusal to comply with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission’s (FWSC) directive to end its ongoing strike.
CETAG has challenged the FWSC to take legal action if it seeks to enforce government compliance with its responsibilities.
On Friday, June 14, 2024, CETAG announced an indefinite cessation of work, attributing their strike to the government’s delays in implementing the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) Arbitral Award Orders and agreed-upon service conditions.
In response, the FWSC demanded an immediate end to the strike, characterizing CETAG’s actions as a breach of trust given the government’s efforts to address their concerns.
Addressing the media in Accra on Friday, Benjamin Arthur, the CEO of the FWSC, stated, “The government has shown a spirit of cooperation because we are convinced that it is of mutual benefit, and it will advantage our nation to at least make some concessions for our peers instructing at the Colleges of Education. The government’s intentions are sincere.”
“We therefore implore them to return to their teaching duties. The strike is founded on mistrust.”
In contrast, Prince Obeng-Himah, the President of CETAG, speaking with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Friday, asserted that the strike is a lawful action taken to protect their constitutional rights.
“…It is a legal action we have taken to protect our economic rights, and that is enshrined in the labour act 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 government complies.”