The three agitating teacher unions say they will resume their strike after the 10-day injunction placed on their industrial action by an Accra High Court elapses.

The three unions — the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) — have been on strike since Monday, December 9, but were forced to return to the classroom following the court injunction secured against their move.

The court’s directive comes after the teachers defied a ruling by the National Labour Commission to call off their strike with immediate effect.

But speaking to Accra-based Citi FM, President for NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu, said forcing teachers to return to the classroom without tackling the cause of the industrial action will have dire consequences on teaching in the country.

According to him, it will be wrong to assume that unhappy teachers will deliver as they are expected to do.

He said the union will, therefore, resume its strike after the deadline for the injunction to press home their demand and seriousness.

“Once there is a court order, teachers will return to the classrooms even though unwillingly. But there will be no further engagement with the NLC. Our members need their money and they deserve it so we will continue going on strike till we get it.

“The NLC will also have to continue going to court to keep us in the classrooms because if they fail to repeat the notice and the injunction ends, we will resume our strike,” he said.

Background

Members of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), have since Monday, boycotted their post after a series of failed engagements with the government on Legacy Arrears incurred between 2012 and 2016.

Earlier, the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education had issued press releases describing the action as baseless, illegal and shocking.

The NLC called for a meeting with representatives of the unions and other stakeholders to ascertain the way forward but the meeting on Tuesday never happened. The NLC subsequently took the matter to court and an injunction placed on the strike.

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