Government takes steps to address teacher unions’ concerns

The government has taken steps to address certain concerns raised by the three striking teacher unions. Among these actions, the government has committed to completing the distribution of laptops to all teachers by the end of June.

Furthermore, the government has pledged to present a draft of the scheme of service to the unions for review by April 8.

Additionally, discussions between the unions and the government are ongoing, with a scheduled meeting set for Wednesday, March 27, to finalize talks on outstanding demands. These demands include the payment of continuous development allowances and rent allowances, among others.

Following a meeting with the National Labour Commission (NLC) and government officials, King Awudu Ali, the National President of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), informed journalists that progress has been made.

He noted that some issues have been promptly addressed, with directives provided by the Labour Commission.

“For example, it has been agreed that by the end of June, all the laptops will be distributed to teachers who have not yet received them. It has been agreed that by the 8th of April, the Ghana Education Service will present the draft scheme of service to the teacher unions to verify the same or to go through.”

“Then finally the GES is to take steps with the OSP to make teachers whose salaries have been blocked unlawfully be released. The remaining six items that could not be addressed at the Labour Commission are the continuous professional Development, the deprived area allowance, the rent allowance, transport or commuting allowance, and the utility subsidy allowance.”

On the NLC’s directive on the strike being called off, Mr Ali said their next action would be determined after a meeting with the leadership.

“As teacher unions, we have a procedure that we go through to call off the strike and from here, we are going to go through that procedure immediately, going through our councils and getting it done for us to be able to meet the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, the Ministry of Education, Food and Science Commission and all the parties,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Adutwum, expressed hope that the unions would call off the strike as ordered by the National Labour Commission.

“We just ended the meeting with NLC. They have ruled, and they have indicated that the Ministry of Education, and Labour should convene a meeting immediately to begin negotiations. We are therefore meeting at 2 pm tomorrow at the conference hall of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.

The commission has also directed that the Labour unions should call off the strike. On this note, I want to thank the Labour Commission for the judgment that they have rendered.