The Ministry of Labour and Employment Relations (MLER), through the Fair Wages Commission, has scheduled a crucial meeting with the leadership of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) and other key stakeholders today, Monday, August 19. The meeting aims to address the concerns that have led CETAG members to engage in a nationwide strike for the past two months, causing a complete shutdown of academic activities across all 46 Colleges of Education in the country.
Invited stakeholders include the President of CETAG, representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Director of Tertiary Education from the Ministry of Education, the Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF), the Director General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), and the Head of the Public Financial Management Unit (CPMU).
CETAG initiated the strike on June 14, citing the government’s failure to implement the National Labour Commission’s Arbitral Award and the negotiated service conditions. The association’s demands include the payment of one month’s salary to each member for additional duties performed in 2022 and the application of agreed allowance rates, comparable to those in public universities, to deserving CETAG members.
The ongoing strike has severely disrupted teaching and learning, prompting the leadership of the College of Education Students Association to suggest closing the colleges until the issue is resolved. However, the government has opposed this idea, insisting that progress has been made in negotiations with CETAG and that academic activities will soon resume.
Prof. Samuel Atintono, President of PRINCOF, has assured the public that they are prepared to adjust the academic calendar to restore normalcy once CETAG members return to work.
