The teacher unions currently on strike have voiced their disappointment over the call by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) for a revision of the labour law.
The unions– the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT)– declared a nationwide strike on Wednesday, March 20. They attribute this action to what they perceive as the government’s neglect in addressing their poor conditions of service.
The unions have highlighted key grievances such as the continuous withholding of teachers’ salaries, changes in timetables without union consultation, and delays in distributing laptops to teachers.
The FWSC has urged the three teacher unions to reconsider their decision. Benjamin Arthur, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the FWSC, expressed surprise at the unions’ decision to strike, noting that negotiations aimed at addressing the teachers’ demands were ongoing.
He suggested that the three unions had taken them by surprise and stated that it was inappropriate for a small group to meet and declare a strike. He subsequently called on stakeholders “to begin vigorously to change our labour laws.”
Herbert Ako Forson, the General Secretary of the CCT, criticized the FWSC CEO’s remarks during an Eyewitness News interview on Citi FM with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Wednesday.
He emphasized that the comments were disrespectful to the unions.
“I am very disappointed in Eng Arthur for calling on stakeholders to start the process of revising the labour laws. He is very aware, and he knows what happened in Koforidua… Negotiations began in Koforidua; it didn’t end well. You waited, then yesterday at 8 pm, we received letters from Fair Wages inviting us to come and continue with the negotiation. Is that fair? He is calling for fairness. He also mentioned that three people would go and sign. This is an affront to us; this is disrespect to us. I mean, it is not fair, you don’t have to use such statements,” he stated.
Angel Carbonu, the President of NAGRAT, also expressed disappointment in the FWSC CEO’s comments, stating “I am very disappointed in the choice of words of the [FWSC CEO].”
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