The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has petitioned the National Labour Commission (NLC) to compel members of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association (CETAG) to call off their strike.
The FWSC has described the strike by the tutors as being done in bad faith. They added that without dialogue, the tutors’ grievances cannot be addressed.
Chief Executive Officer of Commission, Mr Ben Arthur said this when he addressed a news conference in Accra on June 14, 2024. He expressed surprise at the strike.
According to him, his outfit has written numerous letters inviting the tutors, but they failed to attend.
The striking tutors had complained about the nonpayment of one-month basic allowance after they had forfeited their leave days.
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But Mr Arthur said, government has already begun the process to pay the amount involved.
“We were very expectant that we could agree with PRINCOF (Principals of Colleges of Education) to raise money internally to be able to make the payment, but we also found out that they could not. So, central government decided to pay for it. Eventually, all those who qualified for it, PRINCOF and GTEC and we have been supplied with the details and submitted to finance (Ministry of Finance) for action,” Mr Arthur said.
The striking tutors also raised concerns about failure by government to pay the August salaries of their President, Prince Obeng-Himah and other members.
But Mr Arthur disagreed.
“This is only one person. So that you and others have not been paid, for that reason all the tutors should go on strike, is most unfair” he said.
The Colleges of Education Teachers Association (CETAG) also complained about failure by the employer to pay them as university lecturers after the National Labour Commission had directed.
But the Chief Executive explained that the migration of the tutors to benefit from the conditions of service of lecturers has been concluded.
“If you want to be paid, then you must be subjected to the conditions of the lecturer in order for you to be able to benefit from the same conditions. You have to accept the conditions for us to also match you to whatever we give to the lecturers, so that work has been done,” he explained.
He urged them to call off their strike and allow for further dialogue.
“We are calling on them to go to the classroom to go and teach. This strike is out of bad faith,” Mr Arthur asserted.
The President of PRINCOF, Professor Samuel Awinkene Atintono pleaded with the tutors to call off their strike.
“This particular action is going to destabilize it and our appeal to them is that it is better we are back in the lecture halls and then we do the engagement and that will speed up the process,” he assured.
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Strike: Fair Wages and Salaries Commission invites CETAG to a meeting
By Daniel Opoku
