GNAT Blog

Three teacher unions in the country are currently on strike over delay in payment of legacy arrears due them. The unions: the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) said they will not resume work until they receive their arrears.

Speaking to this in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, National President, Ghana National Association of Teachers, Ms. Philippa Larsen said: “we don’t trust anything they say again . . . we are really disappointed and so we had to advise ourselves.”

According to her, “we are not resuming work if we are not paid. It is not time for negotiations or discussions . . . in the next meeting we expect to see documents or proofs saying that we have paid this number and so on. Anything short of that we will not go back to work.”

However, the Ghana Education Service in response described the strike as unfortunate because more than half of the beneficiaries have been paid.

The Director-General of the GES, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwah who was speaking on the same platform said, the GES would publish the list of its staff who benefited from the legacy arrears.

Source: Peacefmonline.com

The National Labour Commission has declared the strike by the three Teacher Unions as illegal and has ordered them to return to the classroom.

Several pupils and students in public primaries and senior high schools have been without teachers since Monday when members of the National Association of Graduate Teachers(NAGRAT), Ghana National Association of Teachers(GNAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers(CCT) laid down their tools.

The industrial action is to pile pressure on government to pay legacy arrears accrued between 2012 and 2016.

Speaking to Starr News, the Executive Secretary of the Labour Commission, Ofosu Asamoah said the teachers risk losing their salaries if they remain on strike.

“The NLC finds the conduct of the three teacher unions not in conformity with the law because procedurally they did not comply with what the law provides in the declaration of a strike and therefore it is illegal. They have been directed by the Commission to go back to call off the strike and go back to the classroom while the GES works to pay whoever the arrears is due.”

He said if the teachers fail to comply with the directive “the law will take its course. Illegal strikes are not paid for by the government, so illegal striking workers will not be paid.”

Source: asempanews.com