In spite of government’s reassurance to aggrieved teachers that it is doing everything possible to pragmatically address their concerns in relation to their professional allowance and pay discrepancies after being placed onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS), the teachers have refused to heed the calls on them to exercise restraint.
The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has, for instance, lashed out at the Education Ministry for failing to address concerns raised by teachers.
Some teachers across the country deserted the classrooms to protest what they say are disparities in their salaries under the new pay policy.
In the Wa Municipality for instance, some teachers besieged the offices of the Ghana National Association of Teachers. They heckled and chased out the staff and warned them never to return to the office. Traffic came to a virtual standstill in the Volta Regional capital of Ho when teachers took to the streets.
Teachers in the country had their hopes of enjoying significant improvements in conditions of service dashed after they realised some decrease or what they term a negligible increase in the February salaries.
But the Minister of education Betty Mould Iddrisu has appealed to the teachers to be patient saying the discrepancies have been identified, and that a technical committee has been set up to rectify the anomaly.
She told a press conference in Accra Thursday: “We understand however that teachers, in spite of having claimed the 15% of their basic salary increase as their professional allowance which was subsequently consolidated- by agreement – into their basic salary since it is a Category One (1) allowance with their consent, still want to migrate to the Single Spine with an allowance [despite the consolidation]. It is noteworthy that Fair Wages and Salaries Commission has a standing agreement with the teachers’ unions that new allowances will be introduced, including special allowances for teachers in underserved/deprived areas and those teaching subjects like science, mathematics, technical and vocational courses etc.”
But the national president of NAGRAT Mr Christian Addae Poku said he was “even feeling worse” by the contents of the press conference.
He told Joy News Dzifa Bampoh the National Council of NAGRAT would be meeting on Friday and are expected to take a final decision on the matter.
“Part of the problem was addressed separately and the second part of the problem was not touch at all…The first problem was the anomalies that were emanating from the technical aspect of the migration. The second was the dissatisfaction of teachers as far as the single spine is concern, especially in relation to the cancellation of the professional allowance.”
Even though the president of GNAT, Paul Appang acknowledged that it was a good step taken by the Ministry, he was not sure if teachers who boycotted classes on Thursday would go back to the classroom on Friday.
“In fact I cannot come out clearly to state whether they would be in class or not because…when you go to pick your salary then you see that you have GH¢50 in your account, GH¢40 in your account and some related issue like that, you become demoralized.
“We have heard her, we respect her, we appreciate all that she has said but it is just not an issue of listening to these words and then saying my colleagues would be in class tomorrow.”
He hoped the technical team set up would do a good work to put smiles on the faces of the teachers.
Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com
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