The Legal Department of the National Labour Commission (NLC), is expected to enforce the Labour Law on Striking Teachers if they refuse to return to work.
According to NLC Executive Secretary, Mr. Samuel Ofosu Asamoah, the Unions contravened the provisions of the Labour Act (Section 159), which mandated a party in a dispute under arbitration to serve a written notice to the other party and the Labour Commission before it embarks on a strike or a lockout.
He said in a statement after the leadership of the three teacher unions failed to attend a meeting NLC called for on Tuesday, 10th December 2019.
The statement said Teachers failed to notify the NLC and its employer of the ongoing nationwide strike in contravention of section 159 of the Labour Act 2003, Act 651.
“That, the Commission in the exercise of the authority conferred on it by Section 139 (1) (b) of Act 651, finds the Associations’ action in violation of Act 651 and, therefore, the ongoing strike of the unions is illegal.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT); National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT); and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Association (CCTA) called the indefinite strike, effective Monday, December 9, to back home their demand for the payment of the legacy arrears to all of its beneficiary members.
The legacy arrears relate to unpaid salary arrears from 2012 to 2016, which originally affected 120,232 teachers.
Source: Kofi Atakora
