CETAG accuses government of non-compliance with NLC’s binding orders

The College of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has accused the government of non-compliance with the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) binding directive on compulsory arbitration awards.

The association made the claims during a press conference in Accra and addressed by its President, Dr. Prince Obeng-Himah.

According to the president, the orders of the NLC included the payment of a one-month salary based on the association's salary grade, the conclusion of the ongoing staff audit, and paying CETAG members the same salaries as their counterparts in public universities.

“The outstanding NLC Compulsory Arbitration awards for which our employer has deliberately refused to comply with their implementation are as follows: An order for the payment of a one-month salary based on the respondent’s (CETAG’s) proposed salary grade shall be paid to each of its entitled members as compensation for additional duty performed in the year 2022.

“The complainant (FWSC) is directed as the chief negotiator for the employer to ensure that GTEC will expedite and conclude the ongoing staff audit for the respondent (CETAG) on or before July 31″, 2023. An order that the agreed rates payable to public universities shall be applied to deserving members of the respondent (CETAG). It is an order that the implementation of the completed staff audit exercise shall commence on January 1″, 2023,” the President said.

These orders from the NLC, as the president of the association noted, have not been adhered to by the government.

He said the continuous disregard of the orders by the government will compel them to engage in labour actions, which could jeopardize teaching and learning activities in all teacher training colleges in the country.

“Based on the foregoing developments, it is now very clear to CETAG members that our employer is deliberately denying us our legitimate compulsory status, very clearly without any reasonable justification. At this juncture, we would like to send a strong signal or message to our government that we shall take our destinies into our own hands if, by May 31 2024, all outstanding compulsory arbitration awards are fully implemented,“ he said.

He called on the appropriate authorities, including the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, and the Ministry of Finance, to immediately comply with the NLC’s compulsory directive in the interest of industrial peace.

GNA