Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) strikers have been ordered to return to the classroom by Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, Director General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
His request comes after the first installment of the book and research top-up allowances filed to the Ministry of Finance was paid out immediately in the amount of GHC199 million.
He stated that the teachers will be able to view the payment on the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System on Monday, July 15, 2024.
On Saturday, July 13, on the fringes of the Ada College of Education’s 15th Congregation and Professor Prince Boateng’s Induction and Investiture, Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai made these statements in an interview with Channel One News.
“We want to use this platform to call on all tutors, senior tutors, principal tutors, and faculty of the colleges of education, as a matter of urgency and for the sake of not disrupting the academic calendar and for the sake of their grievances being addressed. There’s empirical evidence to that effect, their research and book top-up, their all-year-round allowances are going to be paid by next week to the next two weeks.
“Starting Monday, they can access the top-up when it comes to research and book allowance. So, I don’t think there’s a need for them to be on strike. I’m just pleading with them, for the sake of not disrupting the calendar, for the sake of the students who are in the classrooms, they should come back to the classrooms.”
Since Friday, June 14, 2024, CETAG has been on strike in protest at the government’s prolonged implementation of the arbitral ruling and the negotiated service terms.
According to Professor Jinapor Abdulai, a committee has been established by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to ensure that all members of CETAG are placed on the service plans of their affiliated universities.
“The commitment is there, efforts have been put in place, and in terms of migration. Fair Wages and Salary Commission has even asked CETAG to bring a representative to sit on the committee, for that process to take place as early as Monday, July 15, so there’s no course for alarm.”
He added that the government has shown sufficient dedication to resolving the unresolved CETAG issues.
He stressed that in order to prevent more disruptions to the academic calendar, it is critical that the striking teachers return.