Following the teacher unions' decision to go on an indefinite strike, instructional activities in pre-tertiary educational institutions are anticipated to come to a complete stop starting today, Tuesday, July 5.
The unions announced the walkout yesterday after the government ignored their proposal for a 20% cost of living adjustment (COLA).
The associations are the Teachers and Educational Workers Union, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana (CCT-GH) (TEWU).
eerie silence
Speaking to the media in Accra, Thomas Tanko Musah, the General Secretary of GNAT, claimed that despite the unions' requests being conveyed to the government as far back as February of this year, nothing had been done.
The government's deafening silence on this issue, he added, "leaves much to be desired of any government that cares about its workers."
He stated that the strike was necessary because the government's deadline for approving the allowance passed last Thursday.
By doing this, he said, "we are notifying the public that we are discontinuing all of our services, including teaching personnel and non-teaching employees, in the pre-tertiary educational sector."
Hardship
Due to the nation's present economic difficulties, Mr. Tanko said that the majority of educators and instructors were living in or very close to poverty.
He said that the continual increase in the cost of gasoline, commodities, and services had rendered the four and seven percent compensation increases from last year obsolete.
He said that the inflation rate was 27.6% at the time and that there was no reason to believe that it will fall or stabilise any time soon.
Reminder
The GNAT General Secretary reminded the government of its obligations under Provision 36 of the 1992 Constitution, stating that this article obliged the government with taking steps to ensure the maximum welfare, freedom, and happiness of the people.
He stated that in order to stimulate continuous output and increased productivity, the government must also guarantee a strong and healthy economy, which includes "the assurance of a fair and realistic recompense for production and productivity."
Mr. Musah asked for a reassessment of the public sector workers' remuneration and voiced his anger at the disparities in pay.