The Colleges of Education Teachers of Ghana (CETAG) has notified the National Labour Commission (NLC) to embark on strike if outstanding benefits owed to its members are not paid.
According to the association, the Ministry of Education had been unable to settle compensations in spite of a prior directive by the NLC to their employer.
The association in a letter also blamed the NLC for its unwillingness to enjoin the employer to abide by earlier directives although it had fulfilled its end of the agreement by abandoning a strike action in August last year.
“That the NLC is reluctant to trigger section 172 of the Labour Act, 2003 (ACT 651) to compel our Employer to comply with the 2nd May 2023 and 31st August 2023 orders and directives even though the union complied with the directive of the Commission to call off our strike in August 2023.
“Additionally, the union since November 2023 has written several letters to the Commission requesting for enforcement of the Compulsory Arbitration Awards as specified in section 172 of the Labour Act, 2003 (ACT 651) which the Commission has refused to act to date,” the letter read.
Section 172 of the Labour Act 2003 empowers the National Labour Commission to resort to legal action for enforcement at the High Court should its directive be violated.
According to CETAG, the employer – Ministry of Education – has decided not to pay research allowances to members who qualify, a violation of an agreement with the Fair Wages and Salary Commission (FWSC) which was endorsed by the Finance Ministry.
The association is of the view that the strike action is a pushback against the infringements of the economic rights of its members.
The Colleges of Education Teachers of Ghana insisted that it will not rescind its decision “until all the outstanding Compulsory Arbitration Awards and related concerns raised are settled”.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Mitchell Asare Amoamah
