Gov’t’s crunch meeting with teachers, inconclusive





Government’s crunch meeting with members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) as well as the Teachers and Education workers Union (TEWU) to stop them from embarking on strike on Monday has been inconclusive.

GNAT, NAGRAT threatened to lay down their tools over unresolved issues relating to the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure.

This necessitated a meeting to be called by the presidency together with the associations to find a lasting a solution and to avert Monday’s strike.

TEWU, felt sidelined by the government and also threatened to go on strike, a move which forced government to include them in the crunch Sunday meeting.

But the meeting chaired by the Chief of Staff, Prosper Kwaku Bani and which had the Finance Minister Seth Tekper as well as officials of Fair Wages Salaries Commission all attending, was deadlocked at least for now.

Even though the meeting was behind closed doors, Joy News’ George Wiafe gleaned from sources within the meeting that government made some progress with commitments to pay arrears owed to the teachers.

No firm decisions were taken, especially on issues relating to fees payable to teachers during invigilation because NAGRAT failed to turn up for the meeting.

Officials of GNAT said they were going to consult further with their leadership and members on the commitments made by government before a firm conclusion can be arrived at.

Officials of TEWU on the other hand appeared satisfied with the overtures made by government.

It is neither clear why NAGRAT failed to turn up for the meeting nor whether the intended strike by the various associations will come on tomorrow.

What is clear though is that final year students who will start their final examinations on Monday are not happy with the action taken by their teachers.

Some of them told Joy News, the decision by their teachers to strike will have dire repercussions on them.