President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been told to personally intervene and ensure that the striking teachers go back to the classroom.
A private legal practitioner, Mr Kwame Jantuah said Mr Akufo-Addo needs to take direct responsibility and call the leadership of the teacher unions to resolve the issues that have resulted in the industrial action even if the government will not be able to meet their demands.
Speaking on the New Day show on TV3 with Johnnie Hughes, he said “Find something sweet to tell them so they come back. It is a shame that our children continue to take the brunt of it. This is where the government should do something. The responsibility is not only on the people the president has put in place but the responsibility is on him.
“Let the President pick a phone and call the teachers that they should come and dialogue, you will see the change.”
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has appealed to the teachers to resume work pending the outcome of the negotiations with the government.
He indicated that teaching should resume in order not to affect the education of the children as the government also works assiduously to resolve the economic challenges facing the country.
In his Edul-Adha message on Saturday July 9, Mr Akufo-Addo said “I am aware that some teacher unions have declared strike in pursuit of a twenty per cent Cost of Living Allowance. I am happy that yesterday, the teachers were joined by other members of the organised labour under the Trades Union Congress to sit down with government led by the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations and the Minister for Education to begin negotiations on this matter.
“I want to add my voice to the appeal by the outstanding Minister for Employment and Labour Relations Hon Ignatius Baffur Awauh , Member of Parliament for Sunyani West for the teachers to return to the classrooms, pending the outcome of the negotiations so that the education of our children, some of whom are preparing to sit their final exams, is not affected.
“We are in a difficult place, the world is in a difficult place. Leaders around the world, like we are doing here in Ghana, are working assiduously to resolve the fundamental challenges that have plunged the world into the current economic conditions in which it finds itself. But, just as the efforts of Hagga resulted in the discovery of Zamzam well, from which we drink these day, I am confident that soon, we shall discoverer our own Zamzam well.”
On Monday, 4th July 2022, the four (4) Unions in Education, namely Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), TEWU and Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana, withdrew their services in all the Pre-Tertiary educational space, to back their demand for the Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA).
This involved both Teaching and Non-Teaching staff.
