COLA Emergency Meeting: Teachers likely to return to the classroom on 18th July

COLA Emergency Meeting: Teachers Likely to return to the classroom on 18th July

The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has invited all striking labour unions to an emergency meeting scheduled for Thursday, 14th July 2022 at 1 PM.

This was contained in a late communiqué from the (FWSC).

The 12th July meeting ending abruptly as organized labour including teachers walked out of the meeting because government had requested that they call off the strike before negotiations can commence.

The COLA strike started by teachers has entered day 11 with other labour unions joining the industrial action. Others have indicated they will join the strike if government fails to respond to the demand as expected.

Ghana Education News projects that government will soften its stand and meet the demands of striking workers half way. In the end, we expect a compromise to be reached between striking unions and government.

Should this happen, the teacher unions will call off the ongoing strike and teachers will return to the classrooms on Monday 18th July 2022.

Currently, students in Basic and Senior High Schools have been left on their own as teachers have abandoned classrooms since July 4th.

The posture of the government has not helped matters. Stakeholders who are actually feeling the impact of the COLA strike started by teachers are final year students who are preparing for their WASSCE and BECE scheduled for August and October this year.

At the last meeting to commence negotiations, the representatives of Pre-Tertiary education unions (GNAT, NAGRAT, CCT-GH and TEWU) walked out of the meeting and described the move by the government as disappointing.

Ghana is facing economic challenges, inflation is 28.9%, prices of goods and services have kept their upward trajectory and fuel prices have compelled transport fares to shoot up. These challenges coupled with the slow economic outlook for the country have put the government in an uncomfortable position. These have depleted the purchasing power of workers as the real value of their take-home pay has fallen in the face of the rising cost of living.

Nearly all public sector workers are calling for a 20% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to cushion them and reduce the impact of increasing prices of goods and services on their lives.

Should the government fail to come to the table with a good deal and halt the ongoing strike, more workers’ unions may lay down their tools, including health workers, which can further impact the already stressed economy and ground all government services to a halt.

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To ensure government finds a lasting solution to the COLA strike, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, therefore, scheduled an emergency meeting for COLA negotiations.

It is hoped that this will not end in another inconclusive meeting between the parties.

READ: NEW UPDATE:  Teacher Unions Call Off Strike, Get 15% COLA

The letter from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission read…

INVITATION TO EMERGENCY MEETING

Following the meeting held between the Government Team and Organized Labour on 12th July 2022 to

discuss the Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA), Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) respectfully

writes to invite representatives of each Union (see attached list) to an emergency meeting scheduled follows:

Date: Thursday 14th July 2022

Time: 1:00 pm

Venue: Ministry of Health (Conference Room)

Agenda: Commencement of Negotiations on the demand by Organized Labour

We sincerely apologize for the short notice

Source: Ghana Education News