Three teacher unions have declared a nationwide strike effective Wednesday, March 20.
The unions comprise of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT-Gh).
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, March 20, the unions stated that their intent to embark on the industrial action stems from the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service's delay in addressing their conditions of service.
They stated that the negotiation of a new collective agreement should have been completed on or before February 29, 2024, but that was not done.
“Thus, the new Collective Agreement stands un-negotiated and we raised this concern in our letter to the Director General GES, dated February 29th, 2024 and also informed the National Labour Commission. As we gather here now, the issue is still outstanding,” part of the statement said.
The unions also noted that they have drawn the attention of the Director General of GES to the fact that the Ghana Education Service does not have a functional scheme of service for teachers.
The unions argued that a "cogent and appropriate" scheme will take care of all the requirements in the teaching profession.
The unions also emphasised the government and the GES's inability to complete the distribution of laptops to all teachers.
Find the statement from the teacher unions below:
Credit: Prince Adu-Owusu