- Govt and CETAG reach agreement on conditions of service.
- Agreement follows CETAG's strike over salary freeze.
- Negotiations concluded, agreement signed by both parties.
- Strike may end pending CETAG's national council meeting.
The government has successfully negotiated an agreement with the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) regarding the conditions of service for its members. This breakthrough comes as a welcome relief, as CETAG had embarked on a strike in response to the government’s directive to freeze the July salaries of its members.
The strike was sparked by a directive from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) on July 22, instructing the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to suspend the salaries of all striking CETAG members for July 2024. The only exception to this directive was the principals of colleges, who were not affected by the salary freeze.
In response to this move, CETAG announced on July 23 that it would be withdrawing all its services, citing the government’s actions as the reason for their decision. However, in a recent media interview on August 2, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, revealed that negotiations with CETAG had been concluded successfully.
According to the Minister, both parties have signed off on the agreement, which addresses the concerns of CETAG members regarding their conditions of service. The Minister acknowledged that while progress has been made, there is still work to be done, particularly regarding the issue of migration.
He appealed to CETAG to expedite their processes to meet the agreed-upon terms, paving the way for a resolution to the ongoing strike. With the agreement in place, CETAG is expected to hold a national council meeting to finalize their decision, bringing an end to the strike and restoring normalcy to the colleges of education.
