October 5, 2022

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations (UNESCO) has instituted every October 5 as

World Teachers’ Day to honour and celebrate teachers around the globe.

The aim is to focus on, “assessing, appreciating and improving educators around the world”.

It also provides opportunity to discuss issues relating to teachers and teaching.

The Day, established in 1994, commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 International Labour

Organisation/UNESCO recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which is a standard-setting instrument that

addresses the status and situations of teachers around the world.

This recommendation outlines standards relating to education personnel policy, recruitment, and initial training as

well as the continuing education of teachers, their employment, and working conditions.

This year’s theme is: “The transformation of education begins with teachers.”

Ghana will commemorate the Day at Tamale, Northern Region, on Wednesday, October 05, 2022.

Mr Peter Tetteh Korda, Public Relations Officer, Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), in an interview

with the Ghana News Agency, said the Association in September launched the GNAT Week and the World Teachers Day

celebration in Tamale, Northern Region.

He said the Day would celebrate how teachers were transforming education and reflect on the support

they needed to fully deploy their talent.

Mr Korda said GNAT had earlier organised a two-day symposium from Monday, October 3, 2022 to

Tuesday October 4, 2022 in Tamale as part of activities to mark the Day.

The government has approved a 15% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) on the base pay for

public sector workers effective 1st July 2022.

The various worker unions, which include the four teacher unions, the Ghana Medical

Association (GMA), and the Public Sector Workers Union (PSWU), among others, demanded

the payment of 20% of their basic salaries as Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA) due to the

current economic situation in the country.

Both sides reached a conclusion on the 15% COLA with all industrial actions and threats

to be called off immediately and members of the aforementioned union groups to return to work.

The government, represented by Minister for Finance (MoF); Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister for

Employment and Labour Relations (MELR); Ignatius Baffour Awuah, and Chief Executive

Officer of Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC); Benjamin Arthur signed on behalf

the government while the Secretary of the Trade Union Congress, Dr Anthony Yaw Baah and

the President of Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association signed on behalf

of Organised Labour

Priscilla Nimako, ISD

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, GRNMA, has also joined teacher Unions to call for payment of twenty percent Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

According to the Association, the plight of Ghanaian nurses and midwives is worsening each day due to rapid increases in the prices of goods and services across the country.

Speaking on News and Current Affairs Programme, ‘Behind the News’ on UNIIQ FM, the President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association,

Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo refuted claims that the Association is riding on the back of similar claims by the four striking teacher unions.

She said GRNMA operates within organized labour and increasing cost of living also affects them.

She added that, government has been given enough notification about the worsening living conditions of nurses.

However, the Association does not intend to embark on an industrial action.

Four teacher unions have declared a nationwide strike over government’s inability to meet the deadline for their demands for the

payment of Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

This follows the expiration of a June 30 deadline the unions gave government.

The unions are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT),

Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) and Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT).

At a joint press conference, by the education unions on the allowance, the teacher groups expressed disappointment at government’s failure to heed their calls.

General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Musah, who read the statement, disclosed that all their calls have fallen on deaf ears.

“We have been compelled under the current circumstances to publicly communicate to Ghanaians on our intention to  go on

strike having gone passed the June 30 deadline we gave government for the payment of Cost of Living Allowance. Consequently,

we have decided to embark on strike from today,  Monday, July 4, 2022. By this, we are informing the general public that we are

withdrawing services in all the pre-tertiary education institutions. This includes teaching and non-teaching staff. “   

Leadership of the four teacher unions has thus directed their members to withdraw their services with immediate effect

after declaring an indefinite strike.

President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers, Angel Carbonu says the decision to strike is because they have been pushed to the wall.

The teachers are fighting for the payment of between 20% and 30% of their salaries as a Cost of Living Allowance.

The allowance according to the teachers will cushion them on the back of current economic conditions and the worsening plight of teachers.

Some stakeholders have said, even though the call for COLA is legitimate, teacher unions should use the opportunity to fight for a

permanent solution to the challenges facing teachers.

Government had assured it was going to reach an agreement with the leadership of teacher unions, but that is yet to happen.

Source: Derrick Ekow Sam, Myjoyonline   

Source: Samuel Mbura  

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) says government’s fight against terrorism will not succeed if there

is a continuous neglect of the security challenges people face as a result of the high cost of living.

While the government is concentrating on tightening security measures by retooling security apparatus,

GNAT says issues of basic necessities need attention as well.

In an interview with JoyNews, the General Secretary of the Association, Thomas Musah, noted that the growing

hardship in the country is exposing people to financial difficulties, something that poses security threats to the state.

He hinted that the situation is affecting members of the group; hence, their decision to embark on an industrial action

if nothing is done to address it.

“There is an uneasy calm. We are coming from a background of 4% and 7%; that didn’t sit well with workers and almost

every time they keep on calling us – day and night – there is pressure on us.

“That is why at this particular point in time, it has become necessary to draw attention to this thing; we are dealing with the

issues of human security and workers are seriously challenged regarding the issue of water, food, clothing, transportation and

light bills. We are calling on the government to do something about this,” he pleaded.

Mr Musah revealed that despite their appeal to the government to institute the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), there have

not been any discussions on it yet.

“The only thing that has been looked at is the issue of the minimum wage…a technical team has worked on it and presented

its report. We believe this is the time for the government to respond because of the issues of human security, which could have

serious implications on national security.

“We are saying that the time to act is now. Don’t let us take these things and delay it and we will say we will not respond;

it will not help anybody,” he argued.