Three major teacher unions in Ghana—the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT)—have expressed serious concern over the government’s failure to address their long-standing issues.
The unions have warned that the lack of action from the government is causing significant unrest among teachers and could lead to disruptions in industrial peace.
In a recent press release, the unions outlined several unmet commitments from the Collective Agreement signed on May 24, 2024.
These include the need for the Minister of Education to begin negotiations on the Deprived Area Allowance within one month, addressing promotions from Deputy Director (DD) to Director II (DII) and Director I (DI) by September 2024, and collaborating with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to resolve salary disparities for DD and below in the Ghana Education Service (GES).
Additionally, they demand the delivery of TM1 laptops to all teachers with deducted payments by August 31, 2024.
The unions also cited other critical issues, including 12 months of arrears for Tier-2 deductions and problems with the Public Services Commission (PSC) such as delays in upgrades, reinstatement challenges, and rank reductions.
The unions have given the GES, the Ministry of Education, and all relevant authorities until Monday, September 16, 2024, to address these issues, after which they will consider further action.
The press release was signed by Thomas T. Musah, General Secretary of GNAT; Angel Cabonu, President of NAGRAT; and King Ali Awudu, President of CCT-GH, who stressed the urgency of resolving these matters.
