Teacher unions call off strike after 15% COLA agreement
The teacher unions (GNAT, NAGRAT, TEWU and CCT-GH) strike action which began on Monday, July 4, 2022, has been called after a 15% COLA agreement, the General Secretary of Ghana National Association of Ghana (GNAT) has said.
In a communique sighted by AcademicWeek, Thomas T. Musah said “Dear Comrades, having agreed on 15% COLA, we wish to inform all our members that our STRIKE ACTION is hereby CALLED OFF. God bless you! Solidarity forever!”
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The nationwide industrial action suspension comes after the government and leadership of the teacher union agreed on a 15% Cost of living allowance (COLA) which will take retrospective effect from July 1, 2022.
“We agreed with the labour unions that the COLA will be paid at the rate of 15% of base pay and that the effective date for the payment of the COLA will be 1st July 2022,” Employment Minister Ignatius Baffour Awuah told the media.
The Minister in charge of Labour Relations in an interview with journalists added “we also agreed that all industrial actions underway and threats of same will be called off immediately and that labour will return to work.”
The called-off strike action according to the teacher unions (NAGRAT, GNAT, TEWU and CCT-GH) was to register their displeasure over the government’s failure to grant them 20% Cost of living allowance (COLA).
They in a joint press statement copied to AcademicWeek said they on several occasions have engaged the government on the COLA to teachers and educational workers of pre-tertiary education level but their all efforts prove futile.
“Unfortunately, these calls have fallen on deaf ears, we wish to use this forum to express our displeasure over this insensitivity of the government regarding our demand,” the Teacher Unions stated in a statement issued on July 4.
Citing an increase in fuel prices, goods and other services, the leadership of the education sector Unions said their decision to embark on the nationwide industrial action is influenced by the high cost of living in the country.
“Inflation in the country is currently 27.6% and continues to escalate and Infinitum; only God knows when this will abate. We are much appalled at the inept attitude of the government relative to call for COLA,” the Unions noted.