NAGRAT will continue strike action- President

Takoradi May 26, GNA - Nana Kwame Alorvi, National President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), on Thursday said the industrial action of the association for better condition of service is not illegal. Addressing an emergency meeting of NAGRAT in Takoradi, he said the industrial action is in conformity with the Labour Law.

Nana Alorvi said the Labour Commission was not in existence when the association began the industrial action last year. He said the labour law requires any organisation wishing to go on strike to give his employees at least seven days notice. Nana Alorvi said the association gave the government 52 days notice before embarking on the industrial action.

He said there is nothing illegal about the action of the association and the strike would continue until all its demands are met. Nana Alorvi said, Members of the association are not going back to the classroom until the entire grievances of the association are addressed.

Mr Robin Andrew Faidoo, Western Regional Chairman of the Association, said the strike is not a protest against the government. He said, "The minds of the public must be disabused that the struggle is against the NPP Government and the association is fighting the government".

Mr Faidoo said, "The NAGRAT is non-partisan and is trying to improve the image of the teaching profession so that people could be teachers by choice and not by default."

He said the demands of the association included an upward adjustment of allowances paid to teachers and Headmasters and allowances paid to teachers who supervise examinations of the West Africa Examination Council as well as upward revision of grades after the assistant director level.