The Bono Regional Chapter of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, GNAT, has called on government to engage with the Teacher Unions to renegotiate the expired collective agreement.
The Regional Chairman, Thomas Asante Armstrong, at a news conference in Sunyani emphasized that the 2020 Collective Agreement between Government and the Teacher Unions, which came into effect retrospectively in January 2020 for a three-year period, has expired.
He said many unresolved issues from the January 2020 document, such as allowances for teachers in underserved areas, entertainment allowance, and housing allowance, persist. Additionally, car maintenance, fuel, and electricity subsidy allowances, among others need to be considered.
GNAT is urging the employer to initiate negotiations for a new Collective Agreement with the necessary urgency to determine the way forward and called on government to take immediate action in resolving all outstanding issues.
Mr. Armstrong, however, threatened that if the employer fails to respond to their call and meet their expectations, they will have themselves to be blame for any action taken.
Meanwhile, the Central Regional office of the National Association of Graduate Teachers, NAGRAT, has called on its national leadership to be steadfast in negotiating for new conditions of service to ensure industrial peace and harmony. It said although progress has been made towards improving the working conditions of teachers, however, teachers are faced with many challenges affecting productivity.
The NAGRAT Central Regional Office described as distressing the inability of the national executives to negotiate a new agreement following the expiration of their bargaining agreement with government in 2022. Consequently, the NAGRAT Central has given its national executives one week to act appropriately to prevent what they described as dire consequences on teaching and learning.
Addressing the media, the Regional Chairperson, Salamatu Gausu, reminded the national association to ensure that benefits that other public sector workers enjoy are extended to all teachers. She said the Ghanaian teacher cannot hope for a reward in heaven while others enjoy on earth.
Madam Gausu, said the precarious working conditions of teachers across the country have made them worse off and hopeless without any stringent measures by the government to ameliorate their plight. She said while some public sector workers enjoy rent, transport, and entertainment allowances, including other juicy ones, that of teachers are heartbreaking.