Government has assured, that it will reach an agreement with leadership of teacher unions by close of the day, today, Thursday, June 30, 2022.
The unions; the Teachers and Educational Workers Union, the National Association of Graduate Teachers, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers and the Ghana National Association of Teachers, are demanding the payment of between 20% and 30% of their salaries as a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).
The allowance according to the teachers will cushion them in these times. A June 30 deadline they issued for the payment of the allowance expires today.
Speaking on the subject, the deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Bright Wireko-Brobby was hopeful the teachers will reason with government.
“I am still waiting for signals for us to meet where all stakeholders will be brought on board and the outcomes of those meetings will be laid bare to you [teachers]. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. The fact that times are hard is trite knowledge. It is a reality. Our largest workforce as a country is teachers, and I just confess that public sector workers must be commended.”
Teachers are demanding that the government pay them 20 percent Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA) by the end of June 2022 or risk having them go on strike.
They have given a June ending ultimatum on the back of current economic conditions and the worsening plight of teachers, as well as the government’s failure to negotiate.
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.
