The leadership of pre-tertiary Teacher Unions in Ghana has reached a unanimous decision to suspend their planned protest, initially set for Tuesday, October 1, in the Greater Accra Region.
This decision followed extensive talks on Monday, September 30, between union leaders, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, and representatives from the Ghana Education Service (GES) in Accra.
During the discussions, the Education Minister addressed the unions’ grievances, which had prompted their decision to stage the demonstration.
On the matter of allowances for teachers in underprivileged areas, Dr. Adutwum presented documents from the Ministry of Education, indicating that steps were being taken to process payments, following data verification by the GES and authorization by the Ministry of Finance.
The Minister further informed the unions that the government had honored its commitment to double the Professional Development Allowance (PDA), with the increased payments already disbursed in September.
Present at the discussions were representatives from the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT-GH), alongside the management of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
After the meeting, the union leaders encouraged their members to stand down from participating in the planned protest, assuring them that their concerns were being addressed adequately.
In an earlier press release on August 27, the unions raised several unresolved matters from the Collective Agreement signed on May 24, 2024.
Among these were the commencement of talks on the Deprived Area Allowance, which was expected to begin within one month of the agreement, and the resolution of promotions from Deputy Director (DD) to Director II (DII) and Director I (DI) by September 2024.
The unions also voiced their dissatisfaction with other pressing issues, including 12 months’ worth of arrears in Tier-2 pension contributions, and challenges with the Public Services Commission (PSC) involving delays in upgrades, problems with reinstatement, and demotion in ranks.
SOURCE: Obikyere Abigail Seyram
