Go back to classroom!! …NLC orders 3 striking teacher unions

Com­mission (NLC) yesterday ordered the three teacher unions to call off the industrial nationwide strike and return to the classroom while their griev­ances were being resolved.

The three teachers unions, the National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teach­ers (NAGRAT) and Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) Ghana, announced the infinite strike at a joint press confer­ence that they were laying down their tools on the grounds of an allegation of a delay in the negotiation of their conditions of service as well as the freeze of salaries of some of their members by the office of the Special Prosecutor.

Students of Awudome JHS 3 on their way home as a result of the teachers strike. Photo. Ebo Gorman

In a statement issued in Ac­cra yesterday and signed by the Chairperson of the NLC, Mr Kwabena Asuman-Adu, it said the strike was not in compli­ance with section 159 of Act 651, which states that either party intending to take strike action or institute lockout, shall give written notice of this to the other party and the com­mission, with seven days after failure to agree to refer the dis­pute to voluntary arbitration or termination of the proceedings.

It said the NLC in pursuance of Section 133(1) of the La­bour Act, 2003(Act 651) orders the GNAT, (NAGRAT) and Coalition of Concerned Teach­ers (CCT) Ghana to rescind the decision of the declaration of a nationwide strike announced on Wednesday.

The NLC had also sum­moned the three teacher unions to appear before the Commis­sion on Wednesday at 10:00am for hearing of the issues in dispute.

In an interview, the Chief Executive Officer of Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Benjamin Arthur, said the Commission was taken by surprise by the unions’ deci­sion to embark on strike since negotiations aimed at address­ing the teachers’ demands were underway.

He stated that the actions of the unions was inappropriate, saying “a small group cannot meet and declare a strike.”

Mr Arthur called for an amendment to the country’s labour laws to deter workers from unilaterally declaring strike actions.

Meanwhile, LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU reports from the St James Anglican and the Presbyterian Basic Schools at Teiman in the La Nkwan­tanang-Madina Municipality in the Greater Accra Region that the two schools which are on the same compound were in session with all teachers present.

Student trainees on teaching practice from the Accra Col­lege of Education were also seen teaching in some of the classrooms.

One of the teachers on con­dition of anonymity told the Ghanaian Times that they fully back the decision taken by their leaders.

According to him, even though they are in the class­room, no effective teaching or learning was taking place and would ask the pupils to stay at home from today until other­wise stated by their leaders.

At the Abokobi Presbyterian Basic School, the pupils were in school with some teachers present and teaching.

CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE REPORTS FROM TAKORA­DI that at about 7.15 am at the Ketan Catholic School, some teachers reported but used the period to prepare their notes.

“We received the information through various WhatsApp platforms. Some teachers have reported but there is no effec­tive classroom work,” a teacher who did not want to be named told the Ghanaian Times.

At Trinity Presby Primary and JSS, teachers were escorting pu­pils to Bompeh Senior High for games while others remained in the classroom.

At Bishop Essuah School in Takoradi, some teachers were at post as of 8:00 am where the head teacher claimed they had no official correspondence from the office.

Responding, the Western Regional Secretary of GNAT, William Abedi Boadu, con­firmed that one critical griev­ance of the union was that of the laptop issue, which most teachers had not been served with despite the deductions at the national level.

From Sunyani, the Bono Re­gional capital, DANIEL DZ­IRASAH reports that pupils of many basic schools in the Sunyani Municipality were seen loitering around while their teachers, although present, were virtually doing nothing.

While some of the pupils, especially the boys, were playing football, the girls on the other hand were playing ‘ampe’ and others running around.

The schools visited included Estate Experimental, Methodist basic, South Ridge Model, and ‘Nyamas’ basic schools

At the Estate Experimental basic school, as at 9:23 am during our visit, the pupils were seen playing outside while teachers were in the classroom without teaching and learning going on.

Alhassan Imoro, a class three pupil, told the Ghanaian Times that he and his colleagues have been playing since morning because their teachers were on strike.

The situation was not differ­ent during a visit to the Meth­odist basic school at Sunyani Newtown.

Victoria Mensah, a JHS two student, told the Ghanaian Times that their teachers have informed them they were on strike and that they should learn on their own.

One of the teachers at the school who declined to men­tioned her name told this reporter that their union leaders have asked them to lay down their tools as they press home their demand for better work­ing conditions for them.

 BY ANITA NYAR­KO-YIRENKYI AND CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS