The Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Dr. George Smith-Graham, has denied allegations that the government deliberately delayed negotiations with pre-tertiary teacher unions. According to him, the commission began talks with the unions in April after they initially approached it last year over issues relating to their continuous service. Dr. Smith-Graham made these comments on JoyNews' The Pulse, amid ongoing negotiations between government and the teacher unions.
Dr. Smith-Graham explained that the teacher unions had approached the commission last year when their continuous service was due to expire in December. He noted that the issue of continuous service applies to both the public and private sectors, and that renegotiating it six months before its expiry would set a difficult precedent. The FWSC CEO emphasized that the commission engaged the unions, but the fact that the proposals presented during negotiations were not satisfactory to them did not mean that the government had failed to engage them.
The FWSC CEO defended the commission's commitment to resolving the impasse, stating that both sides entered negotiations with mandates from their respective constituencies. He acknowledged that the declaration of the nationwide strike by the teacher unions had made the situation more difficult but said government would continue engaging the unions until an agreement is reached. Dr. Smith-Graham noted that while industrial action is a tool available to the unions, negotiations remain the preferred avenue for resolving the outstanding issues.
The teacher unions, including GNAT, NAGRAT, and PTTA-GH, have been on a nationwide strike over concerns including promotion arrears and their collective agreement. The strike has affected schools across the country, with unions maintaining that they will not return to the classroom until their demands are met. The government has appealed to the teachers to rescind their strike and return to class as efforts to resolve their concerns intensify.
Dr. Smith-Graham's comments come as the government, through the Ministry of Education, has made efforts to address some of the teachers' concerns. The Education Minister has announced that 51,000 teachers' promotion arrears will be validated for October payment. However, the teacher unions have rejected the government's plea to call off the strike, vowing to stay home until their salaries reflect on their payslips.
The FWSC CEO's assertion that the government is committed to resolving the impasse has been backed by the Vice President, who has expressed hope for a swift end to the teacher strike. The government has also been urged to consider regional processing of teacher promotions to address some of the concerns raised by the teacher unions. The strike has sparked reactions from various stakeholders, with some calling for a speedy resolution to the impasse.
As negotiations between government and the teacher unions continue, the FWSC CEO has reiterated the government's commitment to finding a resolution. He emphasized that negotiations remain the preferred avenue for resolving the outstanding issues, and that the government will continue to engage the unions until an agreement is reached. The outcome of the negotiations remains uncertain, but all parties have expressed a willingness to find a solution to the impasse.
Key points
- The FWSC CEO has denied allegations of deliberate delay in negotiations with teacher unions.
- The teacher unions have been on a nationwide strike over concerns including promotion arrears and their collective agreement.
- The government has made efforts to address some of the teachers' concerns, including validating 51,000 teachers' promotion arrears for October payment.
