The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers' Association of Ghana (PRETAG) have declared a strike over a number of outstanding concerns. Among the issues raised by the teacher unions are delays in the payment of the 20 percent Deprived Area Allowance and the failure to place promoted teachers who have qualified for higher grades on the government payroll.
The unions are also demanding the immediate placement of about 8,000 teachers who they say have successfully passed their promotion examinations but are yet to be placed on the payroll. Abraham Koomson, Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), has called on the government to strengthen its engagement and communication with organised labour to prevent disputes from escalating into industrial action.
According to Mr Koomson, the government must ensure that labour leaders are adequately briefed on issues affecting workers so they can, in turn, communicate clearly with their members. He warned that when labour leaders are kept in the dark about delays in fulfilling government commitments, their members may begin to suspect that their leaders are compromising their interests or are “in bed with the government.”
Mr Koomson suggested that better communication from the government could have helped prevent the strike. He explained that if teachers had been adequately informed about the reasons for the delays in addressing their concerns, it could have reduced the pressure on their union leaders and prevented misunderstandings.
The GFL Secretary-General further suggested that the government could draw lessons from the approach adopted by former President Jerry John Rawlings, under which information on government commitments and challenges was communicated through the labour union structure from the leadership level down to the rank and file. He said such a system ensured that workers were kept informed about developments and understood the reasons behind delays in fulfilling particular commitments.
Mr Koomson urged the striking teacher unions to reconsider their position and call off the strike while negotiations continue. He also appealed to the government to establish a more effective communication system with organised labour to ensure that information on government commitments, timelines and challenges reaches workers through their union structures.
Additionally, Mr Koomson suggested that, given the workload at the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, the government should consider appointing a Deputy Minister to support the ministry and help improve its engagement with organised labour. The strike by the teacher unions has significant implications for the education sector in Ghana, and it remains to be seen how the government will respond to their demands.
Key points
- The Ghana Federation of Labour has called for the government to improve its engagement with organised labour to prevent future industrial actions.
- The teacher unions are demanding the payment of the 20 percent Deprived Area Allowance and the placement of promoted teachers on the government payroll.
- The government is urged to establish a more effective communication system with organised labour to prevent misunderstandings and industrial actions.
