Vice President of NAGRAT, Jacob Anaaba, has affirmed that the three striking teacher unions will continue to strike despite the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) directive to end the strike.
This declaration was in response to the NLC’s assertion that the strike was illegal, prompting discussions on its legality in an upcoming meeting with stakeholders. The commission stated that the strike was not in compliance with section 159 of Act 651 of the Labour Act and was deemed to be in violation of the law.
The strike was initiated by three teacher unions, namely the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers on 20th March 2024, to address various concerns, including improvements in teachers’ conditions of service. In light of this decision, the Ghana Education Service (GES) directed schools to remain open during the strike; the NLC however directed the striking teacher unions to call off the strike, citing legal non-compliance.
In an exclusive interview with Univers, Mr. Jacob Anaaba explained the unions’ stance in the situation, adding that the unions will hold a meeting with the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations to discuss the legality of their action.
“Yes, we duly wrote to them indicating our intention to go on strike. And if they are saying this is unlawful, we have a meeting with the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations. We will attend that meeting and at that meeting we will discuss whether our strike is legal or illegal.”
When asked about what it would take for NAGRAT to call off the strike, Mr. Jacob Anaaba emphasized the importance of reaching a mutual understanding to create a truce in the situation.
“We will need a memorandum of understanding indicating clearly the roadmap for resolving the issues that we have raised.”
Instead of meeting with the NLC on 22nd March 2024 as scheduled by stakeholders, the striking teacher unions: NAGRAT, GNAT, and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers have called on the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations to postpone their meeting to Monday, March 25th, 2024.
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Story by: Geliel Naa-Norley Kutorkor Kotey | univers.ug.edu.gh
