The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Tanko Musah, has called on the government to honour its promises to teacher unions.

Speaking on Joy FM's Midday News on Monday, August 19, Mr. Musah stressed that the government had promised affordable housing for teachers in 2022, yet two years later, the promise remains unfulfilled, yet the promise has been made anew.
According to him, the government needs to revisit this commitment and not make new ones.
"We’ve been here before and I think that we cannot easily progress without looking at what had happened in history. Two years back, we engaged the government and they promised us that they were going to ensure that we get affordable housing.
"When you look at the budget statement, page 105 and paragraph 589 it is there that government will engage the teacher unions specifically NAGRAT to ensure that affordable housing is put in place .. so this is a nice opportunity to give a reminder,” he said.
Mr. Musah also urged the government to expedite action on other promises, such as promoting teachers from the rank of Deputy Director to Director 2 and 1, addressing issues faced by teachers in deprived areas, and delivering on the "laptop per teacher" initiative.
His comments come in response to a recent pledge by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who during the unveiling of the party’s 2024 electioneering campaign manifesto, promised to offer incentives for teachers to purchase vehicles with engine capacities of up to 1,800CC.
While Mr. Musah acknowledged the importance of this initiative—noting that teachers had benefited from similar incentives in the past—he stressed the need for the government to fulfill previous promises before making new ones.
"...But as I said, the other ones they have promised and haven’t been delivered, we are asking of it and we want them to speak to those issues for us.”

Additionally, Mr. Musah called for the establishment of a pre-education funding act to ensure sustained financing for public education, pointing out that basic education in Ghana is currently facing significant challenges.

The leadership of the Pre-Tertiary Teacher Unions have called for calm among teachers who are apprehensive over their appointments being revoked.

Their anxiety stems from a circular issued by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to heads of schools to ensure that the appointments of teachers who were recruited after December 7 are terminated.

In an exclusive interview with 3news on February 19, General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Tanko Musah appealed to the anxious teachers to be calm.

We need to give the employer the benefit of hindsight. To the extent that we have an assurance of engagement for us to find out how we can resolve, together let us work to resolve all the issues. If there are other things, we are not able to resolve we meet our members and decide on the next line of action.

“So, to the extent that dialogue has not broken down and the employer has shown commitment that look, let us work together to resolve the problem” he noted.

September 16, 2024 1:37 pm

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called on the government to immediately declare a state of emergency to address the devastating impact of illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.

Additionally, GNAT is demanding the evacuation of all mining equipment from forest reserves and water bodies.

GNAT Secretary, Thomas Musah made these demands on Accra-based Channel One TV while outlining five urgent actions the government must put in place.

Mr Musah called for the revocation of law 2462 and the withdrawal of all mining and prospecting licenses in forests, protected reserves, and water bodies.

“Deploy Police and Military to remove and destroy all mining and earth-moving equipment in river bodies and forest reserves.

“Establish a special court to prosecute those involved in illegal mining (galamsey),” he stated.

Meanwhile, highlighting the dire situation facing Ghana, Mr Musah expressed down the five-member inter-ministerial committee set up by President Akufo-Addo will help finding lasting solutions to the menace.

July 24, 2024

Kumasi City News

Members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) staged a dramatic walkout on Deputy Education Minister, Prof Kingsley Nyarko, to express their deep disappointment and frustration over the government’s failed promise to provide laptops to teachers nationwide.

The walkout was a clear indication of the growing resentment among GNAT members, who are urging the government to immediately address their concerns and fulfill its promises. In 2021, the government deducted 30% of teachers’ salaries to undertake the “one teacher, one laptop” project, aimed at providing digital tools to enhance teaching and learning.

However, over two and a half years later, more than 50,000 teachers nationwide have not received their laptops, despite paying for them through salary deductions.

The aggrieved teachers, who gathered for their week-long annual meeting, hooted at Prof Nyarko and prevented him from delivering his speech on behalf of the government. The teachers shared their daily ordeal in the classroom, where the absence of laptops has interrupted teaching and learning, causing frustration and demotivation.

District Chairman of GNAT, Afigya Kwabre, Sarfo Sarpong, spoke on behalf of the group, expressing their disappointment and anger over the government’s failure to fulfill its promises. Sarpong revealed that the National Labour Commission, serving as a mediator, had given the government until the end of June to honor its part of the contract by supplying the outstanding laptops.

However, as of July 22, over 50,000 laptops were still left to be supplied, leaving teachers feeling betrayed and neglected. The walkout and protest by GNAT members serve as a strong reminder to the government to prioritize the needs and concerns of teachers, who are essential to the country’s education system.

Source: Myjoyonline.com  

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), has asked all its regional secretariats to join Organised Labour in preparation for the planned demonstration against the imposition of VAT on domestic power consumption.

Organised Labour has scheduled next Tuesday, February 13 to embark on a demonstration should the government fail or refuse to withdraw the directive it issued for the Ghana Revenue Authority and the power distributors to implement the 15 percent VAT.

In a letter dated February 6, 2024, addressed to all its regional secretaries and titled ‘13TH FEBRUARY, 2024 NATIONWIDE DEMONSTRATION AGAINST 15% VAT ON ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION’, the teachers’ union said it participated in a meeting of Organised Labour held on Friday, 2nd February, 2024 at the Trade Union Hall in Accra at which “Leadership of Organised Labour decided to embark on a nationwide demonstration against government's directive to ECG and NEDCo to start the implementation of 15% VAT on residential consumption of electricity.”

According to GNAT, it agreed to the decision at the meeting to embark on the nationwide demonstration “against the imposition of this insensitive tax.”

“We are by this letter directing all our Regional Secretariats to join Organised Labour in their respective Regions in preparation towards this mammoth demonstration scheduled for Tuesday, 13th February, 2024 at all the Regional capitals”, the letter signed by Isaac Baah, Head of Compensation & Benefits on behalf of the General Secretary, said.

Organised Labour has rejected the imposition of VAT on domestic power consumption, arguing it would compound the already precarious economic situation of workers. An ultimatum for the government to withdraw the tax entirely has since January 29 expired, leaving Labour with its next step of a nationwide demonstration.

Labour has also indicated it will advise itself if the government does not respond positively to the demand after the demonstration.

Source: MyJoyOnline.com