The National Labour Commission (NLC) says it will have no choice but to take legal action if the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) continues with its strike action.
CETAG members from all 46 training colleges have been on strike since August 1, citing the government’s failure to adhere to the NLC’s Arbitral Award Orders and the negotiated conditions of service since May 2, 2023.
Despite repeated notices sent to the Ministry of Finance, the agreed-upon negotiations have yet to be implemented, leading to the continued impasse.
In an interview with Citi News on Monday, the Executive Secretary of the NLC, Ofosu Asamoah, said the commission would take the matter to court if the strike continued.
He said this was to compel members of CETAG to return to the classroom, adding that the government could also withhold the salaries of members of the association if they went on with the strike.
“The commission will have to resort to the court to compel them to go back to the classroom if they still proceed on the strike. And their employer will also have the right to punish them for proceeding on this illegal strike.”
“The option available to the employer is that when people engage in an illegal strike, you can withhold their salary and the leaders of CETAG could also be made to pay for any damage or losses that their people engage in. And that could also lead to loss of life,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the leadership of CETAG says it will honour a meeting with the NLC on Wednesday, August 16, following the two-week-old strike by the group.
Speaking to Citi News, President of CETAG, Prince Obeng Himah, said they would go into the meeting with an open mind.
“We do not want to go in with perceived minds. But we are clear, that will be our expectation going into that meeting,” he noted.
Also, the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Gifty Twum Ampofo, has made a passionate appeal to CETAG to reconsider their ongoing strike action and engage in meaningful negotiations with the government to resolve their concerns.
Addressing the issue, Deputy Education Minister Gifty Twum Ampofo acknowledged the valid concerns of CETAG members and assured them that the sector minister was diligently working to address these issues.