NAGRAT threatens strike over unpaid allowances

• Posted on June 29, 2022June 29, 2022
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Greater Accra Regional Secretariat of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has served notice it will lay down its tools if the government fails to pay 20 percent of their salaries as Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA).

The Association says the increased cost of living has made life unbearable for its members, hence, the demand from the government.

The Greater Accra chapter of NAGRAT is the next to join the other nine regional secretariats of NAGRAT who have threatened strike action over COLA.

At a news conference on Tuesday, June 28, Chairman of the Regional Chapter, Henry Teitey Tetteh Afi said the group expects to receive a positive response from the government and its mother union before the end of June.

“The pain and suffering as a result of this severe economic hardship is simply unbearable at this time. It has gotten to our necks. Teachers have sacrificed so much for this nation yet we retire into misery and undignified death. This state of affairs should not be allowed to continue.

“…if at the end of June 2022, our call for COLA is not heeded they [government] will be left with no other option than to pay heed to the clarion call of our members to lay down our tools,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Ghana National Association of Teachers has also been addressing a news conference at Cape Coast concurrently.

The Central Regional branch of the Association said it should not be blamed for any action it takes over the failure of the government to pay teachers their cost-of-living allowance by the end of June.

Regional Chairman of the Association, Benjamin Wilberforce Eshun has been speaking to the media.

“While standing by the demand for the 20 percent COLA to cushion our members. We are also by this statement reminding our leadership of our resolve to advice ourselves if the June 22 deadline they proposed payment of the COLA is not heeded to by the government,” he stated.

The national leadership of the Association in a press conference on Tuesday, June 7 said its members can no longer survive under the current excruciating living conditions in the country.

 Vice President of NAGRAT, Jacob Anaba instructed all Regional, National and Zonal secretariats to hoist red flags in front of their offices.

He insisted that leadership will declare a strike by the end of July 2022 if the government fails to meet their demands.

“Therefore, we are by this conference serving notice to those who matter that their attitude towards the call by the Union to grant COLA to the suffering Ghanaian worker is leaving us with no alternative than to respond to the incessant demand of our members,” he said.