The Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG), has asked government to address the concerns of their tutors who make up the College of Education Tutors Association of Ghana (CETAG), to enable them end their nationwide strike over unpaid arrears.
The students warned that if government fails to act in their interest, they will be forced to take other steps to bring pressure to bear on government.
Speaking to Citi News, the National President of TTAG, Jonathan Apam, described the consequences of the strike as dire, hence the need for government’s immediate intervention.
“We are trying to propagate the effects of it [strike] because it appears government is not aware of how the strike is affecting students. For about two, three weeks now, our teachers have not been teaching. This is the time that second years are doing all methods of teaching. This is the time that we have newly admitted students. This is the time that trainee teachers in the basic schools doing their teaching practice are supposed to be supervised. If we fail… we will be sacked. Cape Coast or Institute of Education will not care whether there was a strike or not.”CETAG declared a nationwide strike in protest of unpaid salaries after a caution to government.
The teachers had threatened to down their tools if the government failed to pay salary arrears owed its members since October 2016.
CETAG had lamented that, despite a directive by the National Labour Commission (NLC), asking the Ministry of Finance to pay the arrears within two weeks, they are yet to be paid.
According to them, per the migration of the tertiary statuses of the Colleges of Education following the passage of the Colleges of Education Act 847 in 2012, the teachers were expected to be paid the salary difference between their previous salary levels and the new salaries from January to September 2016.
CETAG has said that, until the arrears are paid, they are withdrawing their services from the 38 colleges across the country.
A statement signed by the National Secretary of the Association, Prince Obeng-Himah, said: “On the basis of this development, leadership has decided that members should withdraw our services in all the thirty-eight public colleges of education till such a time that the arrears are fully paid to members, having duly consulted all Local and Zonal branches of the Association on the matter”
The statement directed all members to wear red arm bands as a mark of the protest.
NLC begs Colleges of Education tutors to call off strike
A few days after the strike, the National Labour Commission (NLC), asked striking members of CETAG to reconsider their decision, and return to the lecture halls, but they refused.
A meeting between CETAG and the government to reach an agreement over the matter broke down recently.
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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG), has asked government to address the concerns of their tutors who make up the College of Education Tutors Association of Ghana (CETAG), to enable them end their nationwide strike over unpaid arrears. The students warned that if government fails to act in their interest, they will be forced ... Read Full Story
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