The Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG) has issued an order that “no student should pay any money for the purposes of paying casual labours,” as a result of the ongoing strike by members of the Colleges of Education Non-Teaching Staff Association of Ghana (CENTSAG).

TTAG in a statement said following the strike, it has noticed that:

1. Students in some colleges have been asked to feed themselves until the strike is over.

2. In some colleges, the absence of staff in the kitchen has forced some students to partly suspend their academic works to support casual workers in the kitchens to cook.

3. Authorities in some colleges are asking the students to pay casual workers to cook for them because management has no money to pay them.

4. We have chanced on a letter calling for an emergency meeting on Friday, 22nd of April 2022 which we feel is too far looking at the urgency of the issues at hand.

5. There are likely events of similar challenges due to government’s inability to pay students’ allowance and the feeding components to the various Colleges.

It is for the above reasons that TTAG has cautioned the students not to pay any amount for te purposes of paying casual labours.

TTAG also called on actors for and on behalf of government to take the necessary steps to expedite engagement with CENTSAG to bring resolution to all outstanding matters.

To aid in solving same, TTAG has also ask that, in the circumstance where committal compromise can be made by either CENTSAG or government, such path should be advanced halfway within the shortest possible time to avoid stiff differences that may arise.

“The Government should also put up expedient measures in place to ensure the payment of trainees’ allowances for a lot are in destitute and are unable cater their basic needs,” TTAG noted in a statement.

Members of CENTSAG embarked on a strike action on Monday, 11 April 2022, across all 46 public Colleges of Education in the country.

Their concerns are:

1.       Wrong placement of first degree holders

2.       Non-payment of migration arrears

3.       Exclusion of payment of generic allowances

4.       Partial payment of office holding allowances

5.       Non-payment of interim market premium arrears

The association said its decision to strike has been necessitated by the continuous disregard of their concerns which is affecting the welfare of its members.