The Communication Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah has expressed disappointment in the Education Ministry and the National Labour Commission over the ongoing teachers unions strike.
In a social media post [x] on Wednesday, March 27, Mr. Ahiagbah lamented that the strike, which could have been prevented, reflects a failure on the part of these state agencies to take proactive measures.
He criticized the National Labour Commission for being aware of the looming threat of a strike but failing to intervene, and the Ministry of Education, typically commendable under President Akufo-Addo, for supposedly neglecting to address the issue adequately.
While acknowledging the teachers’ right to strike, Mr. Ahiagbah criticized the unions for using students’ education as leverage in their negotiation process, deeming it excessive and unfair.
He called on teachers to return to the classroom while their concerns are being addressed, highlighting the government’s efforts in improving teachers’ conditions, such as the introduction of the Professional Teacher Allowance and the termination of a punitive policy inherited from the previous administration.
“The ongoing Teacher Union strike is a disappointing situation that could have been avoided. It is disheartening to see that the following parties failed to take proactive measures to prevent it: a. The National Labor Commission was aware of the looming threat of a strike but failed to take necessary action to avert it.
b. The Ministry of Education, which has been doing an incredible job under President Akufo-Addo, cannot be excused for dropping the ball on this matter.
c. While we respect the Teacher Unions’ right to strike, it is unfair to leverage their pupils’ education to drive their bargain. This is excessive and unfair to the pupils.”
The three teacher unions started a nationwide strike on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, over what they describe as the government’s disregard for their service conditions. Since then the teacher unions have been in a series of meetings with the government to resolve the outstanding issues so they can return to the classroom.
After a crunch meeting with the National Labour Commission (NLC), the minister of education and other leaders on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, the groups have had some of their promises being met.
However, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers has noted that even though the meeting with the government appears to be fruitful, they will only return to the classroom after engaging with the various teacher councils.
The ongoing Teacher Union strike is a disappointing situation that could have been avoided. It is disheartening to see that the following parties failed to take proactive measures to prevent it:
a. The National Labor Commission was aware of the looming threat of a strike but… pic.twitter.com/ieNvMsB9bl
— Richard Ahiagbah (@RAahiagbah) March 27, 2024
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