Volta Region NAGRAT gives government ultimatum on salary arrears
A decision by the government to pay only three-month salary arrears to newly-trained teachers has caused the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) in the Volta Region to give the government an ultimatum to come clear by the end of April, 2014 on the payment of salary arrears and other emoluments to other categories of teachers.
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These include the payment of arrears to teachers who had been promoted, teachers who were re-engaged or reinstated in addition to the payment of transfer grants as well as transport and travelling expenses to teachers who were transferred by the Ghana Education Service (GES).
The association further expressed misgivings about the non-negotiable stance of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in reviewing supervision and invigilation allowances for personnel of the GES.
At a press conference held in Ho yesterday, the Volta Regional Chairman of NAGRAT, Mr Felix Tordeytsey, said teachers were losing their patience and that it would no more be possible to restrain its members after the ultimatum had expired.
He recalled that last year, teachers embarked on an industrial action over the government’s failure to pay teachers their incremental credit for 2011 and 2012, maintenance allowances to deserving teachers, as well as WAEC’S failure to negotiate with teacher unions supervision and invigilation allowances.
Mr Tordeytsey said teachers, however, returned to the classroom after the President intervened and made promises to address the issues.
“One year on, the very issues raised by NAGRAT and over which teachers went on strike have still not been dealt with. And to add insult to injury, the government has decided not to pay accrued salary arrears which extend beyond three months,” he stated.
He said the affected teachers had worked but the employer had decided not to pay for work done, adding that it was criminal because some of the newly recruited teachers had worked for more than two years without salary and one could imagine the psychological trauma they could have passed through.
He further said for more than five years, transfer grants and T&T had not been paid and that was in contravention of the rules of engagement.
The Daily Graphic caught up with a parent of one of the newly recruited teachers, who had taught in a senior high school for two years without salary. The parent lamented the appalling development in the teaching service, adding that it was unfair to the teachers.