Mr. Richard Kovey, leader of the Campaign Against Privatization and Commercialization of Education (CAPCOE), has criticized the decision to freeze the salaries of College of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) members, stating that it won’t resolve the ongoing strike issue. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), he described the measure as harsh and warned that it could exacerbate the situation.
Mr. Kovey emphasized the need for the government to find peaceful and lasting solutions to prevent continuous strikes in the education sector. CETAG initiated an indefinite strike on June 14, 2024, due to the government’s delay in implementing the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) orders and agreed service conditions. They demand one month’s salary for extra work done in 2022 and the application of university-level allowance rates to their members.
In response, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) instructed the Controller and Accountant General to freeze CETAG members’ salaries after the NLC declared the strike illegal. Mr. Kovey argued that CETAG’s demands were manageable by the Ministry of Education, and all parties involved should fulfill their roles to avoid future strikes.
He highlighted that teaching relies heavily on passion, and when teachers feel mistreated, their enthusiasm diminishes, impacting the quality of education. Mr. Kovey urged the government to prioritize resolving the issues that led to the strikes and provide the necessary tools and services to improve teachers’ work conditions. He added that when workers are well taken care of, they perform better, which positively impacts the economy. He criticized the use of intimidation to prevent legal actions and called on the NLC to follow up on agreements to avoid disruptions in workers’ activities. Teachers’ contributions to the country’s development are significant and should be recognized, he concluded.
