Ghanaian teachers threaten to go on strike

The leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) on Friday said their members would withdraw their services from Monday, March 18 until their concerns were addressed.

According to the leadership their members were so frustrated that they were unable to restrain them from withdrawing their services but failed to answer the question whether they were in support of the strike action.

Mr Samuel Doe Alobuia, Acting National President of GNAT and a spokesman for the two unions who spoke at a joint press conference in Accra, said the leadership could not hold brief for members’ actions because they had the numbers and they were not ready to listen to the leadership.

He said from January this year, teachers raised concerns including non-negotiation of new proposals of the Collective Agreement for the teaching employees of the Ghana Education Service (GES), freeze on annual increments for the staff of GES since 2010 to date for qualified staff.

Other concerns were non-payment of vehicle maintenance allowance for 2012 till date and delays in resolving outstanding issues related to promotions.

Mr Alobuia said it took the intervention of President John Dramani Mahama through the Chief of Staff and the National Labour Commission (NLC) to avert an industrial action by education and non-education sectors at the time.

“It is regrettable to note, however, that despite the intervention of these important stakeholders, the said concerns have still not been addressed,” he said.

He said what made it worse was the fact that the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) had questioned the legal status of GES management to negotiate the proposals in the Collective Agreement with the Teachers’ Unions (GNAT and NAGRAT) in spite the fact that the NLC had directed GES to do so.

“We are at loss as to why the Chief of Staff, as of today, has not fulfilled his promise to set up and inaugurate a working group to deal with the issues. The agreement was that the working group would use six weeks to resolve the concerns. Meanwhile the concerns linger on and the six weeks have elapsed,” Mr Alobuia said.

“Furthermore, GES was given time lines by the Labour Commission within which to resolve the issues of non-payment of  vehicle maintenance allowance for 2012 and negotiation of the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) supervision and invigilation fees for 2013 examinations” he added.

Mr Alobuia said as a responsible Teacher Unions they had constantly updated their members on the developments and the frustrations the leadership was going through and they had equally tried to dialogue with all institutions which matter in the resolution of the concerns.

He said from all indications, it was clear to the leadership that solutions to their concerns were not in sight and the pent-up feelings of the members were assuming alarming proportions.

“The situation has become irrevocably hopeless, and that, the relevant authorities should take the full blame for any eventuality,” he said.

Source: GNA