The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has resolved to embark on a nationwide strike if their accumulated allowances are not paid after April 30, 2014.
NAGRAT national leadership therefore reiterated the need for government to pay all newly recruited graduate teachers across the country their accumulated allowances.
Vice President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu told Citi News the threat was justified.
“They have a legitimate cause because our incremental credit of which only 2013 arrears have been paid is still outstanding, the ministry is aware of this problem and for all this while has not issued any statement on it.”
He implied that the Ministry of Finance’s continues negligence of their concerns will lead to industrial arrest.
“People have been transferred nationwide and if the ministry says they are not aware of these transfers then the ministry is not on top of issues; the people have been transferred, they have taken postings in their new areas and the Ministry of Education has not taken steps to pay their transfer grants.”
Angel Carbonu claimed government had been insensitive to the plight of graduate teachers for so long.
“Now that they are supposed to pay the arrears of the number of months that they have taught, the Ministry of Finance wrote a letter to the Ministry of Education directing them that no one should be paid more than three months arrears.”
He continued saying, “So all of these things are outstanding and if teachers nationwide have started indicating their readiness to take action, I personally as Vice President of NAGRAT deem this action as legitimate.”
Meanwhile, NAGRAT members in the Upper West region said they could no longer tolerate government’s delay in paying their accumulated arrears.
Citi News Upper West regional Correspondent, Mahama Latif said NAGRAT members have given government one month ultimatum to address their concerns.
By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana