Labour consultant Austin Gamey has criticised the decision by pre-tertiary teacher unions to maintain their nationwide strike while negotiations with government are ongoing.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse, Mr Gamey said the unions should consider suspending the industrial action now that government has begun validating outstanding promotion claims and both sides are engaging in negotiations.

Mr Gamey likened the continued strike during negotiations to holding the other party in handcuffs while demanding further action.

“You cannot be negotiating and you are holding your other relationship with handcuffs in your hand, and you say, if you don't continue to pay me until you pay me, nothing can be done," he said.

He argued that continuing the strike while negotiations are ongoing could undermine the relationship between the parties.

“When you are negotiating, you are not supposed to be on strike. I am talking about the entire world. Nowhere in the world.”

Mr Gamey acknowledged that government’s initial approach to the teachers’ concerns may not have been proactive enough and said he did not blame the unions for taking industrial action initially.

However, he said the ongoing validation of promotion claims showed that steps were now being taken to address the concerns.

He said the parties must recognise the efforts being made to resolve the outstanding issues and avoid actions that could further strain their relationship.

“When you have begun the validation process itself, clearly what it is is that something genuine is being done.”

He urged the teacher unions and government to work together to prevent similar disputes from recurring, noting that many Ghana Education Service officials are themselves members of the teacher unions.

He said the current situation presents an opportunity for both sides to strengthen their relationship and develop mechanisms that can prevent future disagreements from escalating into industrial action.

His comments follow renewed negotiations between the teacher unions, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Ghana Education Service over the concerns that triggered the nationwide strike by pre-tertiary teachers.