The Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF) has called on the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) to suspend its ongoing strike action and resume work.

PRICOF wants CETAG to resume work by today, Wednesday, 7 August 2024, following government’s agreement to implement their conditions of service.

CETAG members from all 46 Colleges of Education nationwide have been on strike since June 14, protesting the government’s initial refusal to implement their arbitral award and conditions of service.

Despite the prolonged strike, government has now reached an agreement with CETAG, prompting PRINCOF to urge the association to call off the strike.

In a statement issued on Monday, 5 August 2024, PRINCOF noted that government has begun implementing CETAG’s conditions, including payment of the Book and Research Top-Up Allowance, processing of the All-Year-Round Allowance, and migration of staff to the universities’ salary structure.

“While PRINCOF acknowledges and appreciates your members’ concerns on the delayed implementation of the arbitration awards by the National Labour Commission (NLC) on the migration of staff onto the university payroll structure, the payment of the All-Year-Round Allowance for 2022, and the Book and Research Top-Up Allowances, we are of the view that your return to the lecture rooms will pave the way for a speedy resolution of the issues,” the statement noted.

PRINCOF emphasised that the ongoing strike action will disrupt the academic calendar and urged CETAG to demonstrate its commitment to the signed Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) by returning to the classroom.

“We are making this appeal based on the fact that CETAG and the Government signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, with a clear roadmap for the implementation of the NLC arbitral awards which were the reasons for the CETAG strike,” PRINCOF emphasised.

It continued that: “In the light of these concrete actions taken by the Government, we opine that these demonstrate its commitment to addressing your concerns. We are of the view that CETAG should equally demonstrate its commitment to the MoA that it signed and return to the classroom.”

It added: “Your continuous stay on strike will further disrupt the academic calendar which can have repercussions for academic work.”