3 teacher unions lay down tools!! …embark on strike over collective agreement, distribution of teachers’ laptops

The three teachers union yesterday declared an indefinite industrial strike, over the delay of a new collective agreement and the distribution of teachers’ laptops.

They are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT-GH).

According to the unions, despite the frequent engagements with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), their grievances has still not been addressed, hence, the call for members to withdraw from all school activities effective yesterday, until further notice.

Present at a press conference to announce the strike yesterday in Accra, were the General Secretary of GNAT, Mr Thomas Musa, President of NAGRAT, Mr Eric Agbe-Carbonu and the President of the CCT-GH, Mr King Ali Awudu.

President of NAGRAT, Mr Agbe-Carbonu said following the expiration of their collective agreement last year, the new negotiation should have been completed on or before February 29, 2024, but that had not materialised.

“Thus, the new collective agreement stands un-negotiated, and we raised this concern in our letter to the Director General of the GES, dated February 29, 2024, and also informed the National Labour Commission (NLC). As we gather here now, the issue is still outstanding!!

“We have also drawn the attention of the Director General of GES to the fact that, the GES does not have a functioning scheme of service for teachers. Thus, a much cogent and appropriate one, which takes care of all requirements in the teaching profession needs to be developed for us, but that has not been done as well,” he said.

Mr Agbe-Carbonu added that, after several letters written to the GES to complete the distribution of laptops, the Service had failed to complete the distribution, whilst the leadership of the unions continues to receive threat messages from its members.

He said another worrying situation, was the rampant changes of the school calendar without recourse to negotiation with the unions, which was constantly affecting the smooth operations of classroom activities.

Mr Agbe-Carbonu explained that, the school calendar was supposed to be worked on by the teachers unions and their employer, but their concerns were no more factored in which hinders the operations of school activities.

“In light of the above circumstance and given the delays, unfulfilled promises on the part of the employer and the FWSC, and also threat from rank and file of our members, we the pre-tertiary teacher unions do stand with our members and hereby declare a nationwide industrial action effective today, Wednesday, March 20,” he said.

PHOTO: SAMBA/ STRIKE PICS/ 20-3-2024

CAPTION:

Mr Agbe-Carbonu (second from left) addressing the press with leadership of the unions

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