The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has directed the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to withhold the July 2024 salaries of all teaching staff of the Colleges of Education (CETAG), excluding the College Principals.

This action is in response to the ongoing strike by CETAG members which began in June this year.

The members are staging this strike in protest against the government’s delay in implementing the arbitral award and negotiated service conditions.

In a letter to the Accountant General’s Department dated Monday, July 22, GTEC stated, “At the instance of the Minister of Education on the non-adherence of CETAG members to call off an illegal strike from June 2024, you are by this letter requested to stop the salaries of all teaching staff of the Colleges of Education (CETAG) except for the College Principals for July 2024.”

“By this letter, College Principals are not to validate the July 2024 salaries of all teaching staff.”

In the meantime, the leadership of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association has issued a warning that it will oppose any unlawful attempt to freeze members’ salaries.

They have pledged to escalate their indefinite strike until the arbitral award and negotiated service conditions are implemented.

CETAG maintains that its strike is lawful and has accused the National Labour Commission of spreading misinformation about its actions.