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-GH), have embarked on a nationwide strike action to protest against the government’s refusal to meet their demand for Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA).
The top four teacher pre-tertiary education level teacher unions operating at the basic and second cycle levels at a joint press conference have expressed disappointment over the government’s failure to meet the deadline for their demands for the payment of the COLA.
According to the unions, the demand is influenced by the high level of inflation in the country; the incessant skyrocketing prices of fuel, goods and services, and have eroded the already woefully so-called salary increases granted as expressed in four percent and seven percent for 2021 and 2022 respectfully.
Reiterating that inflation in the country is currently 27.6 percent and continues to escalate beyond control, and only God knows when this will abate.
“You may recall that without sounding repetitive and monotonous that the Unions have severally called for the government to grant 20 percent Cost-Of- Living-Allowance (COLA) to the Ghanaian worker generally, and in particular teachers and educational workers of the pre-tertiary education level.
These calls, unfortunately, have fallen on deaf ears. We wish to use this forum to express our displeasure over this insensitivity of the government regarding our demand,” the statement said.
The unions further stated that they are very much appalled at the inept attitude of the government relative to their call for COLA. “We have severally on different platforms and times made this call which fell on deaf ears of the government,” they emphasized
For instance, the several press conferences on this matter including the request in a press conference addressed on 24 February 2022 by the unions in the pre-tertiary education sector, secondly, a press conference addressed on 20 May 2022, by the Forum of Public Sector Unions (FPSU); thirdly, a passionate request contained in the 2022 May Day speech; and recently, an official correspondence dated 24 June 2022, by the Secretary-General of TUC, addressing the president of Ghana, have not had any acknowledgment from same.
The ‘loud silence’ of the government on this matter is worrisome and leaves much to be desired of any government that cares about its workers, they lamented.
With this backdrop, the GNAT, NAGRAT, TEWU, and CCT-GH, emphasized that they wish to unambiguously express their grave concern about the excruciating pain of poverty that has been bestowed on the Ghanaian teacher and education workers and leaves them in an inauspicious state of affairs.
“The Members of the Unions in education can no longer bear the hardship. Even more so, we reject the inequality of salaries in the public service of this country.
Consequently, we have decided to embark on a Strike Action with immediate effect. By this, we are informing the general public that, we are withdrawing all our services in all the pre-tertiary educational space, both teaching, and non-teaching staff,” the statement concluded.
These remarks were contained in a press statement signed by Thomas Tanko Musah, General Secretary, GNAT; Eric Agbe-Carbonu, President, NAGRAT; Mark Korankye, General Secretary, TEWU; and Awudu King Ali, President, CCT-GH.
