The National Labour Commission (NLC) is expected to meet the three Teacher Unions on Tuesday over their ongoing nationwide strike.
The striking Teacher Unions, namely the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), are demanding payment of salary arrears owed their members between 2012 and 2015.
The strike, which began on Monday, is already affecting teaching and learning negatively.
However, despite the industrial action by the teachers, some public schools were on normal schedule as teachers reported to their posts for teaching duties.
But, Executive Secretary of the National Labour Commission (NLC), Mr Ofosu Asamoah, in a Citi News interview said, today’s meeting will determine the way forward.
The striking teachers have indicated that they are ready to return to the classrooms if the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education pay them after a review of their data currently ongoing.
But with about a week for schools to go on vacation, the teachers say, they have demonstrated enough patriotism and love for the country by their patience.
While day one of the strike did not witness the full commitment of all teachers, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Musah says the strike will gather momentum with time.
The Ministry of Education says the government has saved about GH¢11 million from reviewing the data of teachers expecting to be paid their salary arrears by the State.
According to the Ministry’s Head of Public Relations, Vincent Assafuah, the State would have paid money to undeserving staff if it was not diligent in conducting a review of the data of teachers who were expecting payment.
He said some of the teachers had data suggesting they were superior officers hence deserving of higher salaries, while others had inconsistent portfolios.
While appealing to the striking teachers to return to the classrooms, he urged them to corporate with the government as it goes through the necessary procedures to pay them.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
