Graduate teachers across the country are threatening to lay down their tools from Friday, May 16 if government fails to address outstanding issues affecting their welfare.<\/p>\n
Prior to the strike, members of the Greater Accra branch of NAGRAT have indicated they will embark on a demonstration on Thursday, May 15.<\/p>\n
The intended nationwide demonstration is expected to be replicated in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region on May 27.<\/p>\n
The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Christian Addai-Mensah, issued this threat on Wednesday May 7, 2014 in Accra at a news conference.<\/p>\n
He accused government of downplaying NAGRAT\u2019s outstanding issues of non- payment of the 2011-2012 increment credit arrears, three months arrears payment policy, poor handling of the second Tier pension issues of Ghana Education Service (GES) workers, staff rationalization and non-payment of transfer grants among other issues.<\/p>\n
He said majority of graduate teachers were facing difficulties in paying back loans they collected from banks following government\u2019s delay in addressing their financial constraints.<\/p>\n
On the issue of pension, Mr. Christian Addai explained that \u201cTeacher Unions have done everything humanly possible to get government and the National Pension Regulatory Authority [NPRA] to see to a peaceful resolution of these\u00a0 issues but government has remained indifferent; we are reliably informed that workers contribution have become a cheap source of funds to government and hence the persistence in clinging onto workers money.\u201d<\/p>\n
He demanded that steps should be taken to improve data processing mechanism at the Ghana Education Service District Directorate, the GES Headquarters and the Controller and Accountant Generals Department so as to ensure speedy processing of salaries and allowances.<\/p>\n
Christian Addai-Mensah also challenged the education minister, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang who was onetime a lecturer to be proactive in addressing teachers\u2019 concerns.<\/p>\n