The National Secretary of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), Fidelis Kamaayi, has criticized the National Labour Commission (NLC) for failing to enforce its own arbitral award, as members of the association commenced an indefinite nationwide strike on Monday, November 24, 2025.
The industrial action, which affects all 46 Colleges of Education across the country, comes in response to what CETAG describes as the government’s persistent failure to fully implement the NLC’s award issued on May 2, 2023. The award covers outstanding allowances and compensation owed to teaching staff across the colleges.
Speaking on the Channel One Newsroom, Kamaayi expressed serious concern over the potential disruption of the academic calendar if the government and the NLC do not take swift action to resolve the matter.
According to him, the NLC has failed in its mandate to actively enforce the arbitral award, despite having the authority of a court to ensure compliance by the government.
“The National Labour Commission have the powers of the High Court. So, once they have given the arbitral award, it is binding on both parties. If one party reneges on its part then they have the right to send them to court for enforcement but all these years, the NLC is sitting there aloof looking at things happening as if they don’t care,” he stated.
The industrial action affects all 46 Colleges of Education nationwide.
CETAG’s grievances include unpaid compensation for all-year-round work performed in 2022 at 39 colleges, with only partial payments made to Accra College of Education. The association also cited outstanding Book and Research Allowance arrears for the 2023/2024 and 2022/2023 academic years.
Further concerns involve unpaid Book and Research Top-up allowances for the 2021/2022 academic year owed to Akrokerri College of Education, as well as the downgrading of some experienced teaching staff holding master’s degrees—moves the union says undermine professional dignity and violate agreed conditions of service and the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).
