PRINCOF: The Extended Duration of CETAG’s Strike Took Us by Surprise.
PRINCOF: The Extended Duration of CETAG’s Strike Took Us by Surprise.
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PRINCOF President Surprised by Lengthy CETAG Strike
Prof. Samuel Atintono, President of the Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF), has voiced his concern over the extended duration of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) strike.
In an interview on JoyNews’ ‘The Pulse’ on Thursday, July 25, Prof. Atintono admitted he did not foresee the strike lasting this long. “We did not expect CETAG’s strike to continue for as many as 4, 5, or 6 weeks. However, we are now nearing a resolution,” he noted. He emphasized PRINCOF’s dedication to addressing CETAG members’ concerns and their proactive efforts in negotiations with the government.
Prof. Atintono highlighted the essential role of CETAG in the education sector and stressed the need for a quick resolution to prevent further academic disruptions. He described the results of the recent meeting between CETAG leadership and government representatives as promising and urged CETAG members to reconsider their decision to extend the strike.
He expressed hope that CETAG’s Council meeting on Friday would yield a positive outcome and underscored the importance of addressing the welfare of students, including compensating for missed instructional hours.
The strike, which began on June 14, was initiated by CETAG members demanding better working conditions and pay. Their grievances include the payment of one month’s salary for additional duties performed in 2022 and adherence to agreed-upon allowances for CETAG members.
Despite a directive from the National Labour Commission (NLC) on June 20 to end the strike, CETAG continued their action. The NLC has since announced plans to sue the government to enforce the arbitral award in CETAG’s favor.
On July 22, CETAG’s leadership declared their intention to resist attempts to withhold members’ salaries, following a directive from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to freeze CETAG members’ July salaries. CETAG has pledged to continue their indefinite strike until their demands are fully met.
