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We’ll continue our strike even if our salaries are cut – CETAG
The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has said that its members will not lay down their tools even if their strike results in salary cuts.
The President of CETAG, Prince Obeng Himah, said that they won’t be surprised if the government attempted to cut off their salaries during the strike period.
CETAG members from all 46 training colleges have been on strike since August 1, citing the government’s failure to adhere to the National Labour Commission (NLC)’s Arbitral Award Orders and the negotiated conditions of service since May 2, 2023.
Despite repeated notices sent to the Ministry of Finance, the agreed-upon negotiations have not yet been implemented, leading to the continued impasse.
Asked on Eyewitness News, if CETAG would be surprised if the government decides not to pay the period they have been on strike, Mr Himah said, “No we won’t be surprised at all. We have heard whispers from certain corridors that punitive actions were going to be taken if we dared go on strike. These were some of the things that were whispered, that salaries will be frozen, those of us leading the strike will be imprisoned, and we are fully aware of what is ahead as union members. How do you say we won’t be paid if we don’t sign attendance when it has not been part of our scheme of things”.
He called for an open conversation between CETAG and the NLC about their salary arrears.
“We are not happy with the turn of events. We need to fight to right the wrongs, if we do not fight, we will not even live to benefit what we are fighting for. The whole documentation should result in payments, at the end of the day, the economy is hard, and people continue to be on expired 2021 conditions of service. Those are the things we should pay attention to.”
“We are talking about arrears from January 2023 to date, now what is the road map, are we going to be paid the arrears? We should open frank conversation on the way forward so that all of us will be informed on how we are going about it”.
The Executive Secretary of the NLC, Ofosu Asamoah, called on the government to punish CETAG for embarking on an illegal strike.
“The Commission has told you, don’t go, and you went, and it says stop what you are doing, and you say you won’t. Defying the orders of the Commission is an unlawful act. The Commission will have to resort to the court to compel them to go back to the classrooms if they still proceed on the strike. And their employers will also have the right to punish them for proceeding with this illegal strike. Two wrongs do not make a right,” he opined.
Credit: Citinewsroom.com
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
The Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh Dompreh, has expressed concern over delays in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund, warning that the situation is stalling development across the country.
On his facebook page, he described as a matter of urgent national importance, the Minority Chief Whip pointed to what he sees as a growing crisis of unpaid contractors, abandoned projects, and halted infrastructure works in many districts.
He noted that several communities are grappling with half completed schools, unfinished health facilities, abandoned markets, deteriorating roads, and stalled sanitation projects.
According to him, many contractors who have executed projects for district assemblies have not been paid, forcing some construction firms to demobilise from sites while workers lose their jobs.
He stressed that the District Assemblies Common Fund is not a discretionary allocation but a constitutional requirement under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution, intended to support development at the local level.
In his view, years of delayed releases and accumulated arrears have weakened district development financing and disrupted projects meant to improve living conditions in communities.
He further argued that some payments made in recent years were largely the settlement of old debts rather than funding for new or ongoing projects, a situation he believes has affected contractor confidence and local economic activity.
He described the issue as more than a budgetary challenge, characterising it as a development emergency and a governance concern.
He therefore urged the appropriate authorities to pay outstanding DACF arrears, settle contractors who have completed their work, and ensure that transfers to districts are automatic and predictable.
He maintained that decentralisation can only succeed when district assemblies receive adequate and timely funding to carry out development projects.
He emphasised that stalled projects directly affect ordinary citizens, since they rely on such infrastructure for education, healthcare, transportation, sanitation, and economic activities.
He called for renewed attention to grassroots development, insisting that national progress should not be concentrated only in major cities but extended to all communities.
By: Jacob Aggrey
