Three labor unions in the pre-tertiary education sector initiated an industrial strike today, Wednesday, March 20, 2024, over concerns about inadequate working conditions.
The three unions are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT-GH).
The union’s leadership announced this during a press conference held at the NAGRAT headquarters in Accra.
Reverend Isaac Owusu, the President of GNAT, spoke on behalf of the unions and highlighted that the decision was made because the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) neglected significant concerns impacting teachers’ ability to fulfill their responsibilities.
According to his statement, the government could not successfully renegotiate a Collective Agreement that covered important matters like allowances for teachers in underserved areas, entertainment allowance, and housing/rent allowance. The previous agreement expired in 2023.
He highlighted the importance of the matter and set February 29, 2024, as the deadline for completing the document.
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“Thus, the new Collective Agreement stands un-negotiated, and we raised this concern in our letter to the Director General, GES, dated February 29, 2024, and informed the National Labour Commission (NIC),” Rev. Owusu added.
He also mentioned that the strike resulted from the GES’s failure to establish a comprehensive Scheme of Service for Teachers that addresses all the requirements of the teaching profession.
The unions have urged the government and the GES to ensure that laptops are distributed to all teachers. They have also expressed concern about the frequent changes to the school calendar without consulting the teacher unions, as it disrupts their operations. Additionally, they are calling for reversing the blockage of some teachers’ salaries by the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) without following the proper procedures.
“In the light of the above circumstances and given the delays, unfulfilled promises on the part of the Employer and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), and also threats from the rank and file of our members, we, the Pre-tertiary Teacher Unions do stand with our members and at this moment declare a nationwide industrial action (strike) to press home our demands,” he said.
