E/R: Teacher Unions Demonstrate Over Unpaid Allowances; Issues 2-Week Ultimatum

The pre-tertiary teacher unions of the Eastern Region on Monday, May 15 embarked on a demonstration to demand payments of four allowances that are in arrears.

The four allowances include deprived area allowance, extra assessment, book/data/online and teaching support, and upward adjustment on CPD allowances.

The unions, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT-GH) clad in red and black apparels demonstrated on the streets of Koforidua with aggression, amid singing and dancing.

The aggrieved protesters displayed placards with inscriptions such as “Treat teachers with dignity, teachers are losing trust in government, teachers also deserve allowances, cost of electricity is killing us and treat teachers with decency, among others.

The demonstration comes barely a week after the teacher unions at a press conference, called out the government for failing to implement their allowances agreed on in a 2009 and 2020 collective agreement.

The Eastern Regional Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, Patrick Boison, told the media that teacher unions across the country will not relent on their efforts until the welfare of teachers is prioritised

“Teachers are only asking for four allowances out of the seventeen allowances because we understand the situation that the government is in but it cannot also go without the government doing anything about our demands.

“Teachers are the most employable people on government payroll and we are found in every nook and cranny of this country and if our members have taken the challenge to be there, they must be compensated. Apart from that, we are also asking for assessment allowance, and book/data/online allowances.

“This is about teachers’ welfare, our collective interest as members of the association and members of the state, we are pleading with the government to come to our aid because teachers also deserve better.”

The teachers have given the government until May 31, 2024, to address their grievances, or else they will escalate their industrial actions.

“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 because the Ghanaian teacher also deserves better. Consequently, we are giving the Employer until May 31, 2024, to address our concerns.”

“We wish to state in the strongest terms that, should the Employer fail to address our demands on or before May 31, 2024, then we shall call on leadership to take decisive action in the interest of members.”

The protest ended at the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council, where a petition was presented to the Regional Minister.

 

 

Watch the video below 

Credit: Citi TV

 

John Donkor, the Regional Coordinating Director who received the teachers’ petition on behalf of the Regional Minister, pledged to forward it to the regional minister for onward action.

“There is an emergency today so the Regional Minister is out of the municipality so when he comes, we shall hand the petition to him and I can assure you that we shall submit it to the appropriate quarters for redress.”

Dr. Mrs. Ivy Asantewaa Owusu, Eastern Regional Director of Education, assured the teachers that their concerns would be addressed and therefore urged them to ensure that their industrial actions do not disrupt academic activities.

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