12/10/2026
END OF STRIKE: BEYOND THE STRIKE, LET US TALK ABOUT OUR ENTITLEMENTS!
Thank God the teacher unions have called off their two-week strike. However, as we return to the classrooms, I believe it is time to reflect on some critical issues affecting teachers that continue to receive little or no attention.
Unfortunately, car maintenance arrears, which have been outstanding since 2021, were not part of the demands that led to the strike. For over five years, teachers have been waiting for these arrears, yet not a single teacher, to the best of my knowledge, has received payment. What is even more worrying is how comfortably we seem to have accepted this situation.
I leave this matter to the conscience of our union leaders.
While I acknowledge that some of the issues raised during the strike, particularly promotion arrears, are legitimate concerns, I cannot help but question whether the demands adequately reflected the most pressing challenges confronting the average teacher. Are we paying sufficient attention to the many outstanding entitlements that continue to affect our welfare?
Even more importantly, have our unions critically assessed whether our employer has fully implemented the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)? Or have we become accustomed to focusing on one or two provisions while neglecting the others?
My position is simple: we need a holistic approach to the implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, not a selective one.
This is precisely why I have reservations about adding a deprived-area allowance to our demands when other existing allowances and entitlements remain unpaid or unimplemented. It makes little sense to continuously negotiate for new benefits while failing to secure the full implementation of those we have already negotiated and agreed upon.
Our unions must look at the bigger picture. Rather than concentrating on isolated provisions, they should hold the employer accountable for the comprehensive implementation of the entire Collective Bargaining Agreement.
I strongly believe that if the CBA were fully implemented, more than 60% of teachers could be in a better financial position, based on my understanding of the outstanding provisions and their potential impact. This deserves serious consideration and further assessment by our union leadership.
As we move forward, I urge our unions to make the holistic implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement a major priority. Teachers deserve more than occasional negotiations and selective implementation of their entitlements. They deserve leadership that consistently fights for every legitimate benefit due them.
A union's strength should not be measured only by its ability to declare a strike, but also by its ability to secure, protect, and enforce the full entitlements of its members.
Let us move beyond selective demands. Let us demand accountability, fairness, and the full implementation of our Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Our welfare matters. Every entitlement matters. And every teacher deserves to benefit from what has been agreed upon.
Thank you.
Foster Boateng, Esq.
