The conclusion of the stakeholder engagement that the striking teacher unions had with the Ministries of Employment and Education, the Ghana Education Service, and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission left them disappointed.
Adokwei Ayikwi-Awulley, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT-Ghdirector )’s of communications, stated to Alfred Ocansey on 3FM Sunrise on Thursday, June 7, 2022 that the government team’s only response to the teacher unions on strike last Wednesday was that the teachers’ demand was legitimate and that they needed more time, but they were unable to specify when.
“We thought the minister of employment was coming from the government’s side so he would claim he has been mandated to inform us of what the government intends to offer, but he came with nothing, claiming he was just here to talk,”and has no mandate to come to the table with something” he mentioned.
Mr. Adokwei went on to say “He came without a mandate; that is how we term it. That they are now going to discuss it and that whatever comes out of it he will call us and put it before us. He came with no solution. They came with two main issues. Thus; we have heard it and we are now going to think about it to make a final decision, and secondly, we are pleading with you to go back to the classroom. That is all” he told 3FM
In attendance at the meeting was a representative from the Finance Ministry, Minister of Education, C.E.O of Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and the Director General of Ghana Education Service.
In reaction to the suggestions by some people that if the government had the money, it would have met their demands but the government doesn’t have the money that is why they have gone to the IMF. The leader of the teachers union said the government should just be straight forward to tell them there is no money.
“They said yes, what we are demanding for is legitimate and they can’t contest it. They are going to discuss it and get back to us. They should have said that they don’t have the means”.
He further admonished the government to take the demand for 20% COLA very seriously else it could become a national security issue because other unions are also lacing their boots but they don’t want it to be a generalized strike. Government should try to nib the problem in the bud as early as possible.
The President of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers cautioned that if action is not taken expeditiously, there will be a situation whereby about six hundred thousand employers would pour onto the streets and it will be difficult to stop them.
“We will give them time, but we will not go back to the classroom” he concluded
Four pre-tertiary unions; Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) , the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) and Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) embarked on an indefinite strike from Monday July 4