Teacher unions won’t get what they want in pending negotiations

Following the suspension of the two-week strike action by pre-tertiary education unions, the leaders of the three unions have resumed negotiations with the government on all pending issues. However, the teacher unions won’t get what they want in pending negotiations.

Teacher Unions Resume Negotiations: Teacher unions won’t get what they want in pending negotiations

Key among these issues were the three sets of allowances the unions demand for teachers.

Teacher unions since time immemorial have never succeeded in getting exactly what they demand in any negotiations they have entered into with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.

The most recent negotiations that ended in a compromised agreement were those on COLA and salary increments.

In July 2022, pre-tertiary teachers accepted 15% COLA instead of their initial 20% and they called off the strike.

What this means is that, in all instances, the government has found ways to minimize the high but deserved demands of the unions each time it had to do with allowances.

Even though the unions are fighting for the teachers, we project that they will reach a compromise and that the government will not give them the kind of percentage increase in the three allowances they are calling for, among others.

On March 26, 2024, the unions met with the FWSC to discuss matters arising from the strike action, but they only addressed three out of the nine issues they had tabled. The resolved issues, which were not the main bone of contention, were the agreement to provide outstanding laptops to teachers who have not been supplied by the end of June 2024, the drafting of a scheme of service, and the agreement to resolve all issues related to teachers blocked salaries within one month.

Some of the pending issues that will be dragged back and forth include the following:

#1. Demand for an increase in Continuous Professional Development Allowance

Demand for the increase in Continuous Professional Development Allowance from GHS1200 a year to GHS3000.00 a year. This amounts to a 150% increase in demand in percentage terms. The government will not honour this request by the teacher unions. We at Ghana Education News believe that while the call for increments is legitimate, the teacher unions are not likely to get more than a 60% increase. A 60% increase will move the Continuous Professional Development Allowance from GHS1200.00 to GHS1920.00.

#2. 20% Deprived Area Allowance

Teachers call for 20% Deprived Area Allowance for all educators who accept posting to deprived areas is a progressive and overdue call; however, the government will be looking at the demand for a 150% increase in Continuous Professional Development Allowance vis-à-vis the 20% of base pay as Deprived Area Allowance.

The possibility of the government accepting this percentage is high; however, it looks more like a 15% maximum increase than a 20%. However, the government may also call for the suspension of this suggestion for now.

READ: Three key teachers’ allowances teacher unions are fighting for

Since the Deprived Area Allowance will not benefit the majority of educators, this may not go through.

While the current negotiations on allowances and related benefits are geared towards the pursuit of fair remuneration and better conditions of service for teachers, the government will also be looking at its ability to pay, with an emphasis on its ability to sustain such payments once they are approved.

If the government is unsure of its ability to meet these additional financial obligations, chances are that the unions may get little to nothing at the end of the negotiations; however, since this year is an election year, the government will do its best to “oil the wheels of teachers” in the long run.

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Teacher unions resume pending negotiations, but they won’t get what they want. Watch out for the next update on the teacher unions’ resumed negotiations.