CETAG strike: Our legitimate strike action will only end when the Employer fulfil our demands -CETAG
Teachers Strike
The leadership of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) made it clear that their legitimate strike action will only end when the Employer fulfil their demands as stated in the strike declaration statement issued on 14th June 2024.
The new update on the way forward on the CETAG strike was stated in the official release which dates August 6, 2024, signed by the President and Secretary of CETAG and copied to The Hon. Minister (Ministry of Education), The Hon. Minister (Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations), The Hon. Deputy Minister (Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations), The Hon. Minister (Ministry of Finance), The Hon. Minister of State (Ministry of Finance), The Chief Executive (Fair Wages and Salaries Commission), The Ag. Director General (GTEC), The General Secretary (PRINCOF), and All Local and Zonal Branches (CETAG).
The full release
RE-PRINCOF APPEAL TO CETAG TO RECONSIDER THE STRIKE ACTION AND RESUME ACADEMIC WORK
The National Council of CETAG has received your letter dated sth August 2024 appealing to our members to resume academic work by Tuesday, 6th August 2024 for you to facilitate the payment of our illegally frozen July 2024 salaries by the Ministry of Education through the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
After a thorough consideration of your letter of appeal and intimidation, Council wishes to make our position known to you as follows:
1. That since 2018, PRINCOF has facilitated the freezing of our members’ salaries for embarking on legitimate strike actions to demand for better conditions of service from our Employer. The specific instances of salary freeze of CETAG members occurred in November 2018, August 2023 and July 2024.
READ ALSO: National Council of CETAG invalidates Memorandum of Agreement signed with government
2. That since the publication of the staff audit report in September 2023, neither PRINCOF nor GTEC took concrete steps to ensure that it was implemented for members of CETAG resulting in the current strike action.
3. That the Union has observed with great concern that PRINCOF’s actions have emboldened the Employer not to implement the NLC’s Compulsory Arbitration Award for CETAG.
4. That on 20th June 2024 during the appearance of the Government team and CETAG leadership at NLC, the General Secretary of PRINCOF told the Commissioners that it was PRINCOF that advised GTEC not to implement the staff audit report for CETAG members because in the view of PRINCOF, members of CETAG do not deserve the same conditions of service as that of the Public University lecturers.
5. That the appeal by PRINCOF for our members to resume work is in BAD FAITH considering the caveat put in your letter that PRINCOF stands ready to facilitate the payment of July frozen salary on behalf of CETAG members who return to the lecture halls to allow for further engagement and speedy resolution of the issues.
6. That PRINCOF cannot pretend to be doing CETAG members a favour when indeed it took part in the freezing of our July salaries, supporting the claim by GTEC that our strike action was illegal.
7. That if PRINCOF agrees with GTEC and the Ministry that our strike action is illegal then on what basis shall PRINCOF intervene for it to be paid to members.
8. That the current impasse is partly to be blamed on PRINCOF which has always taken sides with the Employer to perpetuate injustice against CETAG members any time we embark on legitimate strike action to demand for what is due us legally.
9. That CETAG shall only consider any appeal from PRINCOF if you are able to impress on the Employer to implement all our outstanding Compulsory Arbitration Award immediately.
10. That National Council did not approve of the said Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) which you referred to because it was executed in BAD FAITH by the Employer just like the many other communiqués and letters issued in the past by the same Government officials which were never honoured and has led to this present strike action.
We wish to use this letter to unequivocally state that our legitimate strike action shall only end when the Employer has done the needful by fulfilling all our demands as contained in our strike declaration statement issued on 14th June 2024, which PRINCOF was served a copy. Council, therefore, wants to implore PRINCOF to channel all her energies towards getting the Employer to implement all our outstanding Compulsory Arbitration Award for us without further delays.
Conclusively, Council wishes to encourage all our members to remain resolute and stand against any form of intimidation in this our struggle for economic justice and fairness.
Source: Coverghana.com.gh
