The leadership of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) says inasmuch as its members are willing to discuss how to recover lost instructional hours following their strike, they are not prepared to work beyond the legally mandated hours.
CETAG embarked on a two-month-long strike which lasted from June 14 to August 20, 2024, demanding conclusive discussion on their conditions of service that had been delayed for months.
After a successful discussion between the aggrieved teachers and the National Labour Commission and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, last Monday, CETAG called off its strike on Tuesday, August 20.
After calling off the strike, it became clear that the lost instructional hours during the period had to be recovered, but the teachers seem not to work beyond their legally mandated teaching hours.
CETAG’s national president, Prince Obeng-Himah, emphasized that while the association is open to discussions on recovering lost time, the teachers will not agree to work beyond the usual class hours.
He explained that it was not through any fault of theirs to demand what was due them through a strike action.
“It is on record that ours is the only legal strike that Ghana has seen where we have gone on strike for two solid months and the National Labour Commission has not been able to pronounce it illegal.
“They have failed in their attempt to secure court injunctions to stop us and all of that. So we did not fault in any way. So if we are looking at Ghana in the face to say that we have called it off, there is no way anybody should impose anything that will put our health and what have you under pressure,” he stated.
