The nation wide strike by teachers across the country’s public schools have entered day two in Tuesday.
But the Ghana Education Service (GES) has issued a subtle threat to teachers who are currently striking over government’s failure to pay salary arrears owed them.
Three teacher unions, the Ghana National Association of Teachers(GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) have declared nation wide strike after their official ultimatum of December 5, 2019 deadline to pay the salaries dating back 2012 to 2016 fell on death ears.
But the Chairman of the GES Council, Michael Nsowah, who issued a threat in a radio interview on Adom FM Tuesday, said should the teachers continue their industrial action, the state will be forced to employ new teachers.
Speaking to Rite FM, Bono East Zonal Chairman of Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Mr Eric Koranteng insists their strike is justified on all fronts hence; they will not rescind their decisions until outstanding allowances are paid to the teachers.
In same regards, Ms Larsen was pissed that she publicly stated her disappointment immediately, saying, the strike will know no end if the Council Chair and for that matter government proceeded on that tangent.
Terminal examination was scheduled to start yesterday (Monday) in all Junior High Schools in the country, but with the strike, the exercise has been affected.
Response From GES
The Ghana Education Service(GES) in a statement noted it had already paid some of the teachers. Meanwhile the management of the Service, GES says it has learnt with shock the declaration of a strike by the teacher unions under the service effective December 9, 2019 over the alleged delay in the payment of salary arrears (legacy arrears) owed some staff.
“It is, therefore, with utmost shock that management has learnt of the purported declaration of a strike action and states that the conduct of the union leaders is grossly an abuse of the principle of good faith and good working relations which have been established and nurtured over the years,” it said.
Legacy Arrears
The GES said the legacy arrears which related to outstanding arrears between 2012 and 2016, affected about 120,232 staff of the GES.
The legacy arrears, the statement said, was as a result of the policy by the then government which allowed the payment of three months of salary arrears owed any employee in the public service, adding that all other arrears were to be justified and validated by the Audit Service before payment.
By: Austin Ofori Addo/ritefmonline.org
