‘You are throwing our issues here and there like football’ – PRETAG chides Haruna Iddrisu

The Vice President of the Pre-Tertiary Education Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), Adokwei Ayikwei Awulley, has criticised the government over what he described as the prolonged failure to resolve some of the key concerns raised by teachers.

Speaking at a meeting between the teacher unions and the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, on Monday, September 28, Mr Awulley said the continued uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance was particularly troubling.

He said the issue had repeatedly been raised with government officials, but teachers were yet to see a clear commitment on how and when it would be implemented.

“But it seems it has become more or less a football. We throw it here, and then we throw it here. And it is always a topic when the Minister or His Excellency the President mentions it. But at the end of the day we don’t see the way forward,” he said.

Mr Awulley said the unions were equally concerned about delays in placing teachers who had successfully secured promotions onto their appropriate ranks and paying the arrears resulting from those promotions.

He also drew attention to the expiration of the teachers’ collective agreement in June, noting that negotiations for a new agreement had yet to be concluded.

According to him, the situation had become more pressing because some allowances under the existing agreement were due to be paid in September.

The outstanding issues are among the reasons PRETAG, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) embarked on a nationwide strike on September 25.

The unions are demanding the payment of promotion arrears, the conclusion of negotiations for a new collective agreement and the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.

The September 28 meeting with the Education Ministry was convened to deliberate on the concerns and seek a resolution to the issues that triggered the industrial action.

Despite the engagement, however, the teacher unions have rejected appeals to suspend the strike and return to the classroom, insisting that the action will continue until the government takes concrete steps towards addressing their demands.