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| NAGRAT Rejects New Salary Structure |
1/16/2007 |
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Tuesday, 16 January 2007
The president of the National Association of Ghanaian Teachers NAGRAT has fired an unfriendly salvo at the announced salary adjustment for teachers. Mr. Alorvi told Network Herald that the increases were not an answer to the agitation of graduate teachers that led to some two month boycott of classroom work by affected teachers late last year.
“It begs the issue and does not reflect the position of NAGRAT,” he said. He also questioned whether by the announced increases government had done anything to bridge the gap between teachers and health workers, the main pillar of their last strike action.
Minister for Education, Science and Sports, Papa Owusu Ankomah, had last Saturday announced government’s approval of new salary structure for teachers.
Even though he did not give details, the raise that takes retrospective effect from October last year ranges between 30 and 70 per cent, depending on grade and experience.
But Mr Alorvi whose association was sidelined and the more traditional GNAT involved in the negotiations, said government had sought to confuse Ghanaians with the real issues on teachers’ salaries.
Obviously peeved at the apparent lack of reference to the association of graduate teachers, the NAGRAT president who suggested that the announcement of salary increases was in lieu of an upgrading exercise that should have been done since 2001.
He rejected the minister’s position that government treasured and appreciated the dedication and commitment of teachers and efforts and was making efforts to ensure that conditions of service were improved. According to him, the upgrading exercise should be separated from increases since they are not the same.
Mr Alorvi said the so-called 30 per cent to 70 per cent increment should not be used as an avenue to throw dust into the eyes of teachers and the concerned public, warning that any intransigence could re-ignite the agitations.
Network Herald
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