Ghana teachers strike numbers among the stories that are no longer regarded as news in the country.
The Coalition of newly appointed teachers have issued out new threats to take industrial actions against the government if nothing is done quickly about their accumulated unpaid salaries. This decision was disclosed to Citi News by the coalition’s president, Samuel Yeboah.
According to Yeboah, most of the newly recruited teachers, numbering over twenty thousand have been depending on loans and other forms of borrowing to sustain themselves since after they were employed and posted in September, 2016. This is because they have not received any salary so far.
Samuel Yeboah said they have therefore decided to act if the new government fails to give them a dependable assurance on their predicament. He said they will first of all, picket the Ghana Education Service (GES), Ministry of Education and Office of the Controller and Accountant General. This they intend to do on the 5th of February before going on an indefinite strike if their request is left unattended.
If one says that Ghana teachers strike is a trend, the person needs not be crucified. The reason is because it has really been a long time since the teachers enjoyed working conditions that are devoid of complaints, especially under the immediate past NDC Mahama-led administration. Ghanaians will not forget quickly, how teachers at different levels of education time and again, threatened to, or actually went on strike over unpaid salaries.
Following the memory lane down to 2015, University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) in May, threatened to lay down their tools over unpaid book and research allowances. This is however, just one out of the many other threats and industrial actions teachers took in 2015. Read more about the story here.
Also, in February 2016, teachers threatened to go on a nationwide strike over series of unpaid salaries and arrears. This included that of 2013 and 2014 batches of newly recruited teachers, teachers on promotion, and others who were re-instated or re-engaged. Included in the outstanding arrears are car maintenance allowances and transfer grants which were promised to be paid by June 13, 2015. The move was spearheaded by the National Associated of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), led by the Association’s president, Christian Adai-Poku. Click here to continue reading the story.
More seriously, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) were forced to hit the Supreme Court in February, 2016 with the issue of unpaid salaries in continuation of the earlier petitions by NAGRAT. This was after different teachers’ unions have issued out threats upon threats to go on strike to no avail. The CCT Vice president, King Ali Awudu had then said that the body is waiting for a court action to be taken against the government concerning the interpretation of the law in Article 24 (1) of the 1992 constitution, which has to do payment of debts owed by the state. In addition to the suit, two weeks ultimatum was then issued out to the government for the payment of the debt or risk litigation.
At some occasions, the teachers carried out their threats of staging demos, picketing or going on strike; but at other times, the government succeeded in pacifying them with different promises and assurances. However, the fact remains that the teachers’ problems still remain unsolved, and certainly; the issue will continue to raise its ugly head from time to time.
Now the big question is: will the new Nana Addo-led government care to provide a lasting solution to the menace of Ghana teachers strike? What do you think they can do to eradicate this problems? Your opinions will be of great value.
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