Go for exit forms and withdraw from insurance policy – NAGRAT to members

The leadership of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) is urging its members not to waste time in picking up the exit form to be taken off the Ghana Education Service’s (GES) compulsory insurance package.

The teachers earlier demanded that the Gh¢10 being deducted from their salaries should be halted and all deductions refunded.

GES on Thursday, made a u-turn indicating that the teachers who were compulsorily put on the programme have up to the end of August to pick, fill and submit an exit form to opt-out of the policy.

President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu said some 40,000 teachers who opted-out in 2018 were still being deducted saying it’s entirely GES’ fault.

“We had informed our members that all those not interested in the SIC-GES life insurance scheme last year should take advantage of the withdrawal form which can be accessed from any SIC Life office nationwide. From the information I am gathering, about 40, 000 took those forms indicating their decision to opt-out. Unfortunately, when they were mechanizing teachers for payment, they also mechanized those 40,000 teachers who decided to opt-out,” he said on Eyewitness News.

It is against this backdrop that Mr. Carbonu has advised the teachers not to hesitate to abide by directives this time around but hurriedly warned that the Association will not take it lightly if the deductions from teachers who have opted out continue.

“I want to use this opportunity to encourage all teachers who are not interested in the policy to go for the exit form and withdraw from the policy. They can keep the photocopy of the form that they have filled and send the others to either their NAGRAT or a SSNIT office. GES has indicated to us that the withdrawal process will be ongoing but if after August, members who have withdrawn from the policy are still being deducted we will know what to do.”

NAGRAT had earlier threatened strike action over a ten cedi compulsory deduction from salaries of members for insurance purposes.

In 2018, teachers in public basic and senior high schools across the country complained about a deduction of Gh¢10 from their salaries through the Controller and Accountant Generals Department (CAGD) for an insurance policy which they were not aware of.

This is the second time GES has suspended its insurance policy with SIC for public school teachers across the country.

It, however, said the suspension is only temporary until the end of August when it will finally be lifted.