By The National Labour Commission (NLC) has achieved some advancements in negotiations with the striking teachers.
During a significant meeting in Accra today, March 26, the Commission successfully addressed three out of the nine concerns raised by the teacher unions.
These resolved issues encompass the provision of laptops, the restoration of salaries previously blocked by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), and the formulation of terms of service for teachers.
The NLC emphasized that negotiations will persist with teachers regarding the remaining six concerns.
However, despite this progress, the striking unions have not relented.
This development follows shortly after the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) declared a nationwide strike last week.
In an earlier interview on JoyNews’ PM Express on March 25, the Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Ben Arthur, questioned the rationale behind the strike.
“The question that I want to ask, which is missing from all your arguments, is [whether] our teachers, whatever their grievances, [are] above the laws of this country. Do you believe that we should have a country where our teachers do not respect the laws of this country? What kind of country do you want to live in? What do you want to teach our kids? When you have gone on strike, with a Reverend Minister leading it, at the end of the day, you have failed to comply with the labor laws of this country. There are procedures to follow,” he said.
Mr Arthur stated that despite the procedures and provisions, including notifying the employer among other procedures, the teacher unions had failed to follow through and embarked on the strike with little concern for the ramifications.
“No matter your grievances, everybody has a grievance… one type or another. But for you to wake up and say that even when you have been asked to go back to the class you are not going to comply, is the labour commission that you even have reps there. Are you going to tell us that even the reps that you sent there are not capable?” he added.
In the same conversation the President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, Rev Isaac Owusu emphasised that they will not call off the strike until their demands are met.
