Teachers Fight GES Over Delayed Promotions

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is worried, the Ghana Education Service’s reluctance to promote teachers and members of the association to their designated ranks is causing increased agitation among its rank and file.

GNAT at its 2022 national council meeting indicated this including “delays in supplying laptops, allowances payment and opening of base pay negotiations could trigger labour unrest among teachers” across the country.

In a communique, GNAT says the decision by the ministry of education to appoint a director General of the GES “who is not a thoroughbred educationist not only sets a bad precedent but also sends a negative signal to hardworking teachers and educationists that they have no opportunity of occupying that space” in the future.

It would be recalled, the recent appointment of a new director general of the GES had caused an uproar among teacher unions and according to the national council of GNAT, “the response of the ministry of education on the matter on concerns raised, further goes to create disharmony” in the education labour front.

The 11-pointer communique also reiterated the “need for staff who were promoted and upgraded since 2015 to be placed on the right scale”.

The “council finds this irritating and provocative; with the potential of disturbing the peace on the education front. GNAT, therefore, calls on the Ministry of education and GES to resolve this issue” and all other matters relating to this and lower rank promotions by the end of December this year.

GNAT again asked the government to ensure that the “2022 collective agreement is reviewed” after having run for 3 years.

Already, GNAT also asked the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations to open the window for base pay negotiations by November 2022.

GNAT is worried, the Ghana Education Service occupational pension scheme(GSOPS) run by the Controller and Accountant’s General is in 6 months arrears, as a result, “GNAT wants members to be reimbursed” with immediate effect.

The GNAT council, therefore, calls on the ministry of finance to pay all tier 2 funds by the end of November 2022.