Teachers’ strike looms

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) bas given government 28 days to fix about 650 newly trained teachers who have not received their salaries for two years or it will ask members to cease working till the anomaly is corrected.

The aggrieved National and Regional Executives of GNAT have also tasked government to update the new data base system of payment (IPPD) at the Controller and Accountant General's Department which has affected the salaries of several teachers from their respective pay rolls for five months.

The Free Press said documents in its possession showed an erratic cancellation of several names of teachers on 2005/2006 batch of newly trained teachers courtesy the introduction of the new database system of payment at the Controller and Accountant General's Department for some five months ago.

Majority of these teachers are still subsisting on the meagre allowance they were receiving while in training even though they have been upgraded by the employer; the Ghana Education Service as full fledged teachers, whiles those who were fortunate to be put on their correct salary scale have not been paid their arrears.

According to Mr. J .K. Agyei, National President of GNAT, government should sit up and get over this problem, warning that teachers within his outfit cannot wait for this inhuman suffering any longer.

According to the GNAT President, some pupil teachers who have taught for one or two years have not been paid any salary since assuming duty, moreover, teachers who have been promoted for the past two years have also not been put on their correct salary levels let alone paid the arrears due them.