Teacher union hints of strike action

According to the teacher union, its demand is in accordance with a ruling by the National Labour Commission and has been captured in the 2015 budget but they are yet to see commitment on the part of government.

Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang - Education minister

The Coalition of Concerned Teachers have given indications of going on a strike if government does not take immediate steps to pay the transfer grants and incremental credits of their members.

Among the concerns raised by the coalition is the non-payment of newly trained teachers posted in 2013 and 2014.

Ayequaye Awule, communications director of the coalition told Univers News the union was disappointed in the education minister as she has not shown interest in the well-being of teachers.

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“Our agitation started as far back as 2012 having realized that government owes us incremental credit from 2011 to 2012. It owed us again in 2013 but settle just five months (January to May). It has compounded from 2011 to 2015 and nothing has been done about it,” he said.

“We also have issues of promotion and upgrading and then newly trained teachers who came out in 2013 and 2014. All of them have not received their back pay. Some have taught for 2-3 years; there was a policy that they will receive only three months back pay and that policy still holds… We are very much disappointed in the minister of education for not showing interest in our concerns,” he added.

Mr. Awule lamented that their conditions of service had expired for five years. It cautioned that if government fails to address their concerns by September, it will embark on a strike.

“When it comes to our conditions of service, it has expired for five years and so we have no conditions of service as I speak. We don’t know why government has turned deaf ears on our demands. So this time around, we will not back out at all," he noted.

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