CETAG Calls Off Strike Following Government Assurances, Warns of Possible Resumption in October
In an emergency virtual National Council meeting held on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) unanimously voted to call off its ongoing strike with immediate effect. The decision comes after a crucial meeting with the Office of the Vice President of Ghana on August 15, 2024, at the Jubilee House, where the government assured CETAG of its commitment to resolving the ongoing impasse.
The government’s assurances were further solidified in a meeting on August 19, 2024, between the Government Team and CETAG representatives at the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR). During this meeting, a roadmap with clear timelines was presented, addressing CETAG’s outstanding concerns.
Key points of the agreed roadmap include:
- Payment of frozen July and August 2024 salaries by the end of August 2024.
- Completion of offline staff migration by the end of August 2024.
- Verification of offline migration data by staff at all 46 colleges of education before processing by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) in September 2024.
- Reflection of payment post-migration in October 2024 salaries, with an agreement on arrears payment to be reached immediately.
- Adoption of the nomenclature for Senior Members of the Teaching staff to align with affiliate universities’ Scheme of Service.
- Payment of compensation for All-Year-Round work done in 2022 by the end of August 2024.
- Migration of all holders of researched Master’s degrees as Assistant Lecturers.
CETAG has expressed gratitude to key government officials and stakeholders, including the Vice President’s Senior Advisor, Mr. Fred Oware, for their roles in resolving the eight-week-long strike. The association also thanked its members for their unwavering support throughout the strike.
However, CETAG has cautioned that the strike action will resume at the end of October 2024 if the agreed roadmap is not followed.
