Greetings from the grassroot members of CETAG. We hope and pray this letter finds you in good spirit.
We want to take a moment to express our gratitude and appreciation for your leadership and encouragement since the beginning of this “DESTINY STRIKE” which started on the 14th June 2024. We are most grateful.
We, The Grassroot and Dues Paying Members of this noble association, have monitored the turn of events between our association and the employer with great concerns. It has become necessary that we state our position on this matter.
We have noticed with great concerns regarding the current engagements of our President (Prince) and other leadership with the media regarding the outcome of the meeting between CETAG and the employer.
SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about CETAG strike from 2021 up to date
Your media engagement on the 24th July and 29th July sounded like, CETAG was satisfied with the outcome of the said meeting whose outcome, we the grassroot are not privy to.
You mentioned several times that an MoU which contained the outcome of your deliberation with the Minister had been reduced to an MoU which both parties are expected to sign based on which the Council will take a decision to either sustain or call off the strike.
We wish to remind you, Mr President, this move is contrary to our earlier decision to continue our strike until all money due us are paid into our individual accounts.
We wish to remind you that not a single item on the Arbitration Awards which contained our demands has been met. So, any attempt to prematurely call off this strike shall be met with all the necessary resistance from the grassroot members.
We wish to also remind you that the decision by the employer to illegally freeze our July salaries has caused us enough pain and courage to fight on further.
Mr President, remember that in December 2022, the Minister of Education appealed to us to call off our strike to enable him to address our concerns in two weeks. We reluctantly complied because of the respect and trust we had for his personality and office. However, CETAG including you was left disappointed after our strike was called off for which reason we are on strike today.
Mr President, we wish to remind you that in August 2023, the said employer (Minister) denied us our August salaries on the ground that we disrespected him and his office. Here again, the NLC appealed to CETAG to suspend its one-month-old strike to pave the way for the employer to implement the arbitrary awards by October 2023.
Mr President, the disrespectful manner in which you wrote the school boy apology letter to the Minister against the collective interest of CETAG Members is still fresh in our minds.
We are by this letter admonishing you and all your team that in spite of the salary freeze, we would continue to remain resolute until all money due us are paid.
We can’t afford to regroup for any strike action if the employer fails to comply after this strike is called off.
The failure of the employer to comply with the NLC directives on the 2nd of May 2023, August 2023, and 20th June 2024 is enough for us not to trust the Employer.
After denying us our legitimate July salaries, failing to pay the All-Year-Round Compensation since 2022, payment of top-up of our Book and Research Allowance for 2022 with impunity, we can’t simply return to the classroom by just signing an MoU.
We wish to remind you that our negotiated Condition of Service (arbitral awards) shall expire in 2024. Therefore, any delay in its implementation will deny many of our members especially those that are going on retirement.
We wish to further remind you that the arbitral award is more legally binding and stronger than the said MoU you are happily celebrating and welcoming. Even with legal backing, the employer refused to implement its own audit. How much more MoU which has no legal implications?
We wish to implore all our Council Members that, as you meet to deliberate on the document, remember the efforts of our Galant Soldiers who departed without any benefit.
The grassroot will no longer tolerate the disrespect by any government agencies against CETAG.
We all buy tomatoes, fuel and pay school fees like our counterparts in the universities. We all teach degree programmes.
In conclusion, we would like to reiterate our position that not until all members are fully migrated and all money due us are paid into our individual accounts, we shall remain on strike. We prefer staying home to working under these poor conditions. Therefore, any attempt to prematurely call off this strike shall be met with all the necessary actions.
Thank you.
Aluta Continua
Signed
1. Asimah Kassim
2. Gifty Emma.
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