Labour analyst Austin Gamey
Labour analyst Austin Gamey says the government should be blamed for the challenges in getting the Colleges of Education Teachers Association Ghana to call off the almost six-week strike.
This follows a meeting with the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, after an earlier directive to freeze July salaries of the striking teachers, describing the strike as illegal.
The meeting with the education ministry ended without a clear roadmap on the way forward, even though both parties noted that the meeting was fruitful with giant strides made.
However, CETAG president Prince Obeng Himah noted that the future of their industrial action, which began on June 14, can only be determined by the National Council.
But speaking on Starr Today with Tutuwaa Dansu, the labour analyst explained that the government is rather worsening the situation by announcing the freezing of salaries of the striking teachers.
“You are deepening the crisis. Can they (the government) do away with the teachers of 46 different Colleges of Education? The answer is no, they cannot. So the best thing to do is to sit with them, have a conversation, and come to a conclusion as to what to do.
“But trying to be aggressive and using coercion and power play is a 17th-century approach nobody uses anymore. We are in the 21st century; we have a compelling and imperative injunction on us to manage people prudently. Make sure we deliver to the satisfaction of the people who put you in office. Do not use the power to pressure yourself, but manage things prudently. Why the rush now? I was present when the Labour Commission directed them to go and implement the award, which is based on the audit that they made,” Mr. Gamey stated.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has described the directive by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to freeze the July salaries of members of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association Ghana as unnecessary.
