Teachers back to classroom

He said the teacher unions had also received communication from the FWSC which had offered the associations the opportunity to negotiate the proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the commission.

The communique read at the press conference was jointly signed by Mr Alobuia of GNAT,  Mr Christian Addai-Poku, the President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and Mr Ernest Opoku, the National President of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT).

Mr Alobuia said the leadership of the teacher unions considered the fact that as “agents of change and examples to society, we do not want to be seen as too unyielding to pleas coming from President Mahama, religious organisations, parents and students”.

Teachers in first and second-cycle schools in the public sector  embarked on a nationwide strike from March 18, 2013 over their conditions of service.

Among their grievances were the non-negotiation of a new proposal of the CBA for the teaching employees of the GES, freeze on annual increment of staff of the GES, the non-payment of vehicle maintenance allowance from 2012 to date to GES staff who qualify and delays in resolving outstanding issues relating to the promotion of teachers.

Apart from refusing to teach, the teachers also refused to invigilate and supervise the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

After they had laid down their tools, several appeals were made to them to rescind their decision.

On March 17, 2013, the teacher unions met government officials at the seat of government, but that meeting ended inconclusively.

Then on March 18, 2013, the unions were summoned to a meeting with the National Labour Commission (NLC), during which they were directed to call off their strike.

On March 20, 2013, at a meeting with the NLC, the FWSC was directed to quickly constitute a competent body, including the Ministry of Finance and the GES, to negotiate the proposed CBA.

On March 20, 2013, the teacher unions also had a meeting at the instance of the Minister of Education and other stakeholders, where it was recorded that the mandate to negotiate the CBA, including teachers’ retention premium, had not been granted by the FWSC yet.

President Mahama called the teacher unions and the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress to a meeting at the Flagstaff House, where he impressed on teachers to go back to the classroom.

He also gave an assurance that the state institutions connected with the issues would be directed to expedite action on the resolution of those concerns.

Story by Donald Ato Dapatem