The conclusion of the stakeholder engagement that the striking teacher unions had with the Ministries of Employment and Education, the Ghana Education Service, and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission left them disappointed.
Adokwei Ayikwi-Awulley, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT-Ghdirector )'s of communications, stated to Alfred Ocansey on 3FM Sunrise on Thursday, June 7, 2022 that the government team's only response to the teacher unions on strike last Wednesday was that the teachers' demand was legitimate and that they needed more time, but they were unable to specify when.
He said, "We thought the minister of employment was coming from the government's side so he would say he has been mandated to tell us what the government wants to provide, but he arrived with nothing stating he has no mandate to come to the table with something.
"He arrived without a mandate; that is what we describe it," Mr. Adokwei continued. That they will now debate it, and that he will call us to present the results of the discussion. He didn't bring any solutions. They brought two fundamental problems. As a result, we have heard it and will now consider it before making a decision.
Please return to the classroom, we beg you. That's all, he said to 3FM.
A representative from the Finance Ministry, the Minister of Education, the CEO of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and the Director General of the Ghana Education Service were present at the meeting.
In response to claims made by some that if the government had the money, it would have complied with their requests; but, because the government lacks the funds, they turned to the IMF. The union head for teachers said that the government should simply inform them that there is no money.
"They confirmed that our demands are legitimate and that they cannot refute them. They'll talk about it and come back to us. They need to have stated that they lack the necessary resources.
He also warned the government against taking the demand for a 20 percent COLA lightly since doing so might compromise national security because other unions are also lining up for a walkout, but they don't want it to become widespread. The government should make every effort to nip the issue in the bud as soon as feasible.
According to the president of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, if swift action is not taken, there will be a situation where about 600,000 employers will flood the streets, making it difficult to stop them.
He continued, "We'll give them some time, but we won't go back to the classroom."
The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), and the Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (TEWU), four pre-tertiary unions, began an indefinite strike on Monday, July 4.