Builsa South Member of Parliament Dr. Clement Apaak has urged the government to fulfill its obligations to lecturers to facilitate their return to the classroom, following the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) strike.
Dr. Apaak warned that if the impasse is not resolved soon, it could disrupt student progress and unsettle the academic calendar.
CETAG’s leadership announced an indefinite strike that began on Friday, June 14, 2024.
CETAG instructed all members to withdraw teaching and related services indefinitely until their grievances were addressed.
The strike was initiated to protest the government’s delay in implementing the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) Arbitral Award Orders and the agreed-upon service conditions.
“CETAG wishes to call on every member to immediately comply with this declaration by withdrawing teaching and related services indefinitely across all 46 Public colleges of education until all the orders arising from the Compulsory Arbitration Awards and related concerns are fully implemented by way of payments to our members and implementations thereof. Thank you.”
In a statement reacting to the situation, Dr. Apaak, who is also the Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, said, “Our Colleges of Education lecturers [CETAG] have been on strike since June 14, 2024, and there appears to be no resolution in sight.”
“According to CETAG, the strike has been occasioned by a number of factors. However, the bone of contention is the refusal of the employer [government] to implement an arbitration award granted to CETAG by the NLC in relation to the transition from diploma awarding teacher training colleges, five year ago, to degree awarding colleges of education.
“We again call on the government to meet its obligations to the lecturers so that they can return to the classroom. If this impass is not resolved sooner, it will disrupt the progress of the students and dislodge the academic calendar.”
