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The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), has declared a nationwide strike in protest of unpaid salaries.

The teachers had threatened to down their tools if the government failed to pay salary arrears owed its members since October 2016.

CETAG had lamented that, despite a directive by the National Labour Commission (NLC), asking the Ministry of Finance to pay the arrears within two weeks, they are yet to be paid.

According to them, per the migration of the tertiary statuses of the Colleges of Education following the passage of the Colleges of Education Act 847 in 2012, the teachers were expected to be paid the salary difference between their previous salary levels and the new salaries from January to September 2016.

CETAG has said that, until the arrears are paid, they are withdrawing their services from the 38 colleges across the country.

A statement signed by the National Secretary of the Association, Prince Obeng-Himah, and cited by citifmonline.com, said: “On the basis of this development, leadership has decided that members should withdraw our services in all the thirty-eight public colleges of education till such a time that the arrears are fully paid to members, having duly consulted all Local and Zonal branches of the Association on the matter”

The statement directed all members to wear red bands as a mark of the protest.

Strike affects Offinso teacher trainees

Teacher trainees at the Offinso College of Education in the Ashanti Region say they have begun feeling the impact of the strike by their tutors.

Citi News‘ Hafiz Tijani reported that, Members of the College of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), at the Offinso college, are complying with the directive from their leaders.

The tutors have boycotted lectures today [Thursday], to join their colleagues in other regions in the nationwide action.

Some of the trainees who spoke to Citi News called on the government to address the concerns of their tutors to enable them return to the classrooms.