NAGRAT threatens strike over non-payment of 20% CoLA

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) is requesting that the government provide a 20% Cost of Living Allowance (CoLA) to teachers by the end of June this year in order to cushion them against the harsh economic conditions.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the NAGRAT, Henry Teitey Tetteh-Afi, observed the current economic conditions have worsened the conditions of the Ghanaian teachers who are living on life support, hence the need for government to intervene without further delay.

According to him, members of the association will be left with no choice but to embark on industrial action should the government fail to address their concerns.

"Our call to you has become necessary due to the current economic quagmire that teachers and Ghanaian workers in general are facing and the urgent need for the government to intervene." There is no passing day without an increase in prices. The already meagre salary of the teacher has been further eroded by these happenings. The teacher can barely survive," he stated.

The NAGRAT Regional Chairman urged government to consider the plight of the already suffering teachers and cushion them with the CoLA to survive the economic conditions.

"We, the Greater Accra Regional Secretariat of the NAGRAT, wish to add our voice to the call by the other nine Regional Secretaries of NAGRAT to demand of our national leadership that, if at the end of June, 2022, our call for the CoLA is not heeded to, they should be left with no other option than to pay heed to the clarion call of our members to lay down our tools," Tetteh-Afi added.

He further called on Parliament, the Judiciary, the Council of State and all stakeholders in education to impress upon the government to address the concerns of teachers across the country to avert any possible industrial unrest.

Teachers across the country are preparing students for the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in August and November respectively.

The government increased the salaries of public sector workers by 4 and 7 percent for 2021 and 2022, respectively, while Article 71 office holders had theirs adjusted upwards by 70 percent.

Dr. Yaw Baah, Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), on May Day called on the government to pay a 20% cost of living allowance to all public sector workers across the country, citing the deplorable conditions that ordinary workers face.

Similarly, Jacob Anaba, Vice President of NAGRAT, joined the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) to request that government grant at least a 20% CoLA to public sector workers as soon as possible.