Three teacher unions threaten September 30 strike over conditions of service
Three teacher unions have threatened to lay down their tools over some developments they claim are a hindrance to academic activities in schools across the country.
The leadership of the unions, Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) in a joint statement have tabled these concerns which include teaching and learning resources, working hours, allowances and other issues.
“There are teachers who hold various positions of responsibilities in our educational institutions who are entitled to responsibility allowances. Unfortunately, their allowances stopped when they were promoted to other ranks.
“Despite several efforts by the affected teachers and the teachers’ unions, a number of these teachers have not had their allowances restored. Other allowances including car maintenance, rent advance are not being honoured,” excerpts of the statement read.
These issues according to the teachers are to blame for the poor quality of education as reflected in students’ results, especially at the first cycle institutions.
The statement which seeks to bring these issues to the attention of the Education Ministry and the Ghana Education Service have given the appropriate authorities up till September 30, to address all these concerns.
“We, the teacher unions are hereby serving notice that if by the close of September 2021, all these issues are not resolved in full by the employer, then we will have no option than to advise ourselves in the best interest of our members within the framework of our collective agreement and the applicable laws of Ghana.”
This statement comes in the wake of the ongoing strike by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), which began on August 2. UTAG members have asked the government to restore the conditions of service agreed upon in 2012.
The 2012 conditions of service pegged the Basic plus Market Premium of a lecturer at $2,084.42. However, UTAG has complained that the current arrangement has reduced its members’ basic premiums to $997.84.
The strike on Monday, August 2, brought academic activities to a halt across universities, with students, most of whom were preparing for their exams, bearing the brunt of the industrial action.
Meanwhile, the National Executive Council of the Senior Staff Association-Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) and the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Association have suspended the industrial strike action they embarked on with immediate effect.