“GTEC Directs CAGD to Hold Off on CETAG Members’ July Pay”

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has taken a decisive step against the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) by directing the Controller and Accountants General (CAGD) to freeze the July salary of CETAG members.

This move comes after the government declared the ongoing strike by CETAG as illegal, prompting the GTEC to take action against the striking teachers. In a letter addressed to the CAGD, the Director General of GTEC, Prof Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, requested the freeze on salaries, citing the Minister of Education’s instructions. The letter specifically asked the CAGD to stop the salaries of all teaching staff of the Colleges of Education, except for the College Principals, for the month of July 2024.

The strike by CETAG, which began on Friday, June 14, 2024, was called to protest the government’s delay in implementing the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) Arbitral Award Orders and negotiated service conditions. CETAG’s leadership urged all members to withdraw teaching and related services indefinitely until their grievances were resolved, affecting all 46 Public Colleges of Education.

The strike was sparked by the government’s failure to implement the Compulsory Arbitration Awards and related concerns, leading to growing frustration among CETAG members. By freezing the salaries of CETAG members, the government aims to pressure the teachers into calling off their strike and returning to work.

However, CETAG has shown no signs of backing down, with the association’s leadership reiterating their demands for the full implementation of the Arbitral Award Orders and related concerns. The standoff between the government and CETAG continues, with the fate of the July salaries of CETAG members hanging in the balance.