The government must promptly address CETAG’s concerns to prevent any industrial unrest – Akatsi North MP
Peter Nortsu Kotoe, the Member of Parliament for the Akatsi North Constituency in the Volta Region, urges the government to swiftly address any concerns raised by the Colleges of Education Teachers Association Ghana (CETAG) to prevent potential industrial unrest.
As a member of the Education Committee in Ghana’s Parliament, Nortsu Kotoe emphasizes that the government should initiate union negotiations before collective agreements expire.
CETAG has given the government until May 31, 2024, to resolve issues regarding its service conditions. The association is dismayed by the government’s delay in implementing the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) Arbitral Award Orders and negotiated service conditions. Among their demands is compensation equivalent to one month’s salary for extra duties performed in 2022, among other grievances.
Furthermore, Dr. Prince Obeng-Himah, the National President of CETAG, has appealed to key authorities including the President of Ghana, the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice, and the Chairman of the National Peace Council to uphold the rule of law by adhering to the NLC’s compulsory arbitration award orders issued on May 2, 2023, to prevent any disruptions in industrial activities.
In 2023, CETAG initiated a series of strikes due to the government’s failure to honor the NLC’s Arbitral Award Orders and negotiated service conditions. The strikes commenced in January 2023 after prolonged negotiations between CETAG and the government regarding new service conditions. Following CETAG’s strike, the NLC intervened with a Compulsory Arbitration and issued an Arbitral Award Order on May 2, 2023, stipulating new service conditions effective from January 1, 2023.
During an interview on Ahotor 92.3 FM, Hon. Nortsu Kotoe expressed his belief that CETAG deserves their rights and welfare, asserting that the government could have averted this issue through earlier negotiations.
LISTEN TO PETER NORTSU KOTOE IN THIS AUDIO BELOW:
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites) / Ahotoronline.com
