CETAG’s Concerns are Clear – CETAG National Trustee Explains the Issues That Led to Their Strike

Abbreviations

The National Trustee of CETAG, Mr. Maxwell Bunu, has elaborated on the demands of CETAG based on the arbitral awards issued by the National Labour Commission (NLC), and other agreements with the employer. This was to clarify the issues that led to the strike action by CETAG which took effect on June 14, 2024. Following are his thoughts on the matter.

Our concerns are succinct right from day one, especially when we engaged FWSC’s Boss, Ing. Benjamin Arthur in several meetings since January 2023 up to date. We have attended close to 30 different meetings, both face-to-face and online and still counting. There’s so much pain in our hearts.

Following are our demands of our employer based on the arbitral awards ordered by NLC, and other agreements signed with them.

1. Place/map CETAG members according to our qualifications with our counterparts as they exist in the Public Universities. We have the same job descriptions and currently we in the Colleges of Education are even doing more than them, e.g. Supported Teaching in Schools (STS). This is done only by Lecturers in the Basic Education Department in the analogous tertiary institutions.
   (A) M.Ed, M.A, M.Sc holders and their equivalences in the CoEs (in terms of qualifications and the fact that we are all within the tertiary space) must have the same allowances EXTENDED to them just as our colleagues in the Public Universities/Technical Universities. (B) MPhil holders, now placed as Assistant lecturers by GTEC after the audit, in the Colleges should be mapped onto equal allowances being enjoyed by those Assistant lecturers with the same qualification (MPhil) in the public Universities. We have already been rationalized by GTEC, the rationalized document has NEVER EVER said that one should be on a PhD program before she/he could qualify as an Assistant Lecturer. Indeed, there are new adverts in 2024 asking those with MPhil and M.Sc to apply as Assistant Lecturers. These people are NOT yet on the PhD program. We have sufficient evidence to support this claim. Equal work with equal pay is what we demand. No University denies newly appointed Assistant lecturers (holding MPhil and its equivalences) their commensurate allowances!
2. FWSC should Map our PhD holders (lecturers) onto the same remuneration as it’s being enjoyed by the PhD holders (lecturers) in the public Universities and clearly define our line of progression. GTEC should not implement policies that stifle growth in the Colleges of Education.
3. We want the payment of all our 18-month arrears at the end of this month, June, 2024, as ordered by the NLC on 2nd May, 2023.
4. In addition, we demand payment/compensation for All-Year-Round Work as awarded by the NLC on 2nd May, 2023.
5. We demand an immediate payment of GH¢ 1,064 being the top-up on the BRA of 2023 since in the Negotiated Agreement signed on 22nd May, 2023, the government should have paid each member GH¢ 1,464.00. We humbly accepted this amount when others were hurriedly paid $1,600.00 as their Research Grant.
6. We demand immediate restoration of office holding positions and allowances since our Negotiated Agreement signed with FWSC, PRINCOF and GTEC is still in force. CETAG will not accept the imposition of autonomous Statutes/unilateral variations of our Negotiations Agreement. GTEC shouldn’t act capriciously and show us where the power lies.
7. We demand, respectfully, that the BRA of 2024 earmarked for CETAG members be withdrawn immediately and top it up to the exact amount being given to UTAG/TUTAG in compliance with the NLC orders. We all go to the same market for research and to buy Books. We don’t have any market for University Lecturers separately from members of CETAG.
8. We demand immediate refund of the seized August 2023 salary to our colleagues who are still denied of it. e.g. The President of CETAG.

IF ALL THESE DEMANDS ARE MET, CETAG IS LAW-ABIDING, PEACE-LOVING ENOUGH TO COOPERATE WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS FOR INDUSTRIAL PEACE AND HARMONY.

Thank you
Maxwell Bunu
CETAG National Trustee

According to the ministry of Education, the staff audit was completed as of August 2023.