The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has announced an indefinite nationwide strike, accusing the government of failing to honour critical components of the National Labour Commission (NLC) arbitral award issued in May 2023.
The decision, which takes effect Monday, November 24, 2025, follows months of stalled engagements and what CETAG describes as persistent neglect of binding commitments.
In a statement signed by National President Maxwell Bunu and National Secretary Fidelis Kamaayi, CETAG indicated that its National Executive Committee reached the decision during an emergency meeting held on November 19, 2025. The association said it had been compelled to withdraw all services due to the government’s continuous disregard for agreed obligations.
At the heart of CETAG’s grievances is the unpaid All-Year-Round Work Compensation for additional duties performed in 2022. According to the association, the payment—intended for staff of 39 Colleges of Education—has only been partially fulfilled for the Accra College of Education, leaving the rest of the institutions without their due compensation.
CETAG also pointed to outstanding Book and Research Allowance arrears spanning the 2023/2024 and 2022/2023 academic years. Staff of Akrokerri College of Education are additionally owed Book and Research Top-Up arrears dating back to the 2021/2022 academic year.
Another major concern for the association is what it described as the unjustified downgrading of teaching staff who hold master’s degrees. CETAG said this development violates existing conditions of service, undermines professional dignity, and contradicts the provisions of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).
The association recalled that it cautioned the government in an October 27 press release about an imminent strike if the issues remained unresolved. With no progress made since then, CETAG said it had no option but to activate industrial action.
CETAG emphasized that members will not return to lecture halls, supervise students, or engage in School-Based Teaching Supervision (STS) until all outstanding matters are fully resolved. It insisted that while its members remain committed to advancing teacher education, they will not tolerate continued disrespect or actions that worsen their economic conditions.
CETAG reiterated that the NLC arbitral award is legally binding and that the ongoing non-compliance constitutes a breach of labour law and collective bargaining principles. The association has called on the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, and the Government of Ghana to urgently intervene and resolve the impasse.
As the strike begins, colleges of education across the country face significant disruptions, with no clear indication of when academic activities will resume.
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