The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has announced its decision to embark on an indefinite strike starting December 31, 2024.
The declaration follows an emergency meeting of CETAG’s National Council on Friday, December 20, 2024, to address what the union calls the government’s persistent failure to honour critical agreements from prior negotiations.
In a statement issued on Monday, December 23, CETAG expressed frustration over repeated breaches of agreements and roadmaps concerning the implementation of a compulsory arbitration award by the National Labour Commission (NLC) on May 2, 2023.
The union criticized the government for failing to uphold commitments made in good faith, which they say have negatively impacted members’ welfare and the broader education sector.
CETAG had previously embarked on a strike but suspended it on August 20, 2024, following assurances from government officials, including the Vice President, the Minister for Employment, Labour Relations, and Pensions, and the Minister of Education. These assurances culminated in an agreement signed on August 19, 2024.
However, CETAG now claims the government has blatantly disregarded the terms of the agreement, leaving the union with no option but to resume industrial action to push for its demands.
The union called on stakeholders in teacher education, including the Ministry of Education, GTEC, affiliate universities, and the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG), to intervene urgently to prevent disruptions to the academic calendar.
CETAG emphasized that its leadership had exhausted all diplomatic channels to resolve the issues and urged immediate action to avert further complications.