Three teacher unions in the Upper East Region have issued an ultimatum to the government, giving them a week to address four key allowances or face their actions.
The teacher unions include: The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers-Ghana (CCT-GH),
In a press conference held on Monday May 6, at the GNAT hall in Bolgatanga, the unions expressed frustration over the government’s failure to implement agreed-upon allowances and fulfill promises made since the negotiation of the Collective Agreement in 2009 and the subsequent 2020 Collective Agreement.
The Upper East Regional Secretary of GNAT, Lare Kitonname, speaking on behalf of the teachers, said, “Since the negotiation of our Collective Agreement in 2009 and after the 2020 Collective Agreement, the Unions have known no peace, owing to the government’s continued failure to implement the allowances agreed on, as well as fulfil promises given.”
He indicated that the Collective Agreement (CA) had expired since August 2023, and efforts to negotiate a new one had been unsuccessful.
He said the unions had initially contemplated 17 types of allowances but had reduced them to four, which include the Deprived Area allowance, Extra Assessment allowance, Book/Data/Online Teaching support allowance, and Upward Adjustment of the CPD Allowance.
Despite their efforts to streamline their demands, the unions claimed that the government has shown no willingness to address their concerns, causing despondency and dissatisfaction among their members.
“Our members are reeling under the utter hardship imposed on us all by the current economic conditions in the country. We wish to emphasize that the last 24 months have been the most tortuous for the Ghanaian teacher, with no ray of hope or relief initiated by the employer,” the Secretary added.
The three teacher unions are therefore calling for prompt resolution of the allowances with an assurance to take further action by May 13, 2024, if their demands are not addressed.
“We wish to stress that we have had enough of the nonchalance, complacency, and aloofness of the employer, and would thus not countenance this situation any longer,” the Secretary declared.
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