Gov’t still optimistic about negotiations with striking teacher unions

The Employment and Labour Relations Ministry has expressed its readiness to continuously engage the striking teacher unions even after they call off their industrial action.

The National Labour Commission (NLC) on Wednesday ordered the three teacher unions to immediately call off their strike and return to the negotiation table with government.

The three pre-tertiary unions had embarked on a strike over the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah as the new Director-General of the Ghana Education Service.

However, speaking to the media after a meeting among the parties, Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Dr. Bright Wereko-Brobby was optimistic the matter will be brought to an end soon.

“If we are at a stage now that we think the NLC should come in and assist in this mediation because we have engaged them twice, we have done so. The ruling has been clear, and both parties are happy. We are going to engage the unions because they are also going to call off the strike immediately. Teaching and learning will go on as negotiations continue so that at the end of the day, there will be a win-win situation.”

The Unions are the Ghana National Association of Teachers, the National Association of Graduate Teachers and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana.

The strike has hampered academic work at pre-tertiary institutions.

The teacher unions expressed their unhappiness and unwillingness to work with the new GES D-G and called on the government to rescind its decision.

They say, Dr. Nkansah is a banker and not a professional teacher, hence their call for his removal.

Source:citinewsroom.com