The Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai has backed a decision not to pay the July salaries of striking members of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG).
Speaking in an interview with TV3, Professor Jinapor said CETAG has been adamant in engaging government to have their concerns addressed.
Teachers at the various Colleges of Education on June 14, embarked on a nationwide strike to press home demands for government to implement the arbitral award and negotiated service conditions.
Having been out of the classrooms for over a month, GTEC on Monday, issued a letter directing the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department not to pay the striking teachers.
Professor Jinapor defended the decision.
“Logically, if you don’t come to work you cannot be paid. Will it be fair if these grievances are addressed, and they still take their salary and the students are shortchanged? He asked.
The GTEC Director-General insisted that the schools will not be shut down. “I can tell you on authority that the schools will not be shut down,” he stressed.
Professor Jinapor said members of CETAG have on several occasions refused to meet government for an amicable solution.
“CETAG members have been called time and time again and they have refused to engage,” he stated.
Professor Jinapor said a lot has been done to address the teachers concerns and urged them to go back to work.
“Migration is taking place unabated, there is budgetary provision, a committee has been constituted and is supposed to take and kick off on Monday. Their all-year-round allowance which is supposed to be paid has been processed on GIFMIS. They can find out from their respective principals and heads of institutions and finance directors, to find out where they are, in terms of sourcing that monies. In terms of their book and research top up we have received data, and we are processing same,” he assured.
The Director-General of GTEC assured the teachers that all staff and faculty would be migrated using the scheme of their affiliate institutions.
“We are not going to use different kinds of schemes of service. That means a harmonized scheme of service for the colleges and their affiliates-universities, but this is the caveat, to whom much is given much is expected. Appointments, promotions, office holding, and tenure track are going to be informed by the condition and scheme of service of their affiliate universities,” he explained.
Meanwhile, at the Accra College of Education, most students have gone home, the few left behind said life is unbearable.
By Evelyn Tengma
