The National Association of Graduate Teachers, NAGRAT has declared strike due to what they described as the inability of the Ghana Education Service, GES, and Public Services Commission to facilitate promotion for its members.
According to NAGRAT, the failure of the Commission to amend their records has led to the delay in promotional interviews of most teachers.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Thursday September 5, President for NAGRAT Angel Carbonu said, "The service condition of the GES and indeed the public service grant that a teacher is elligible for interview after serving on his or her current rank for four years due to the myriad of problems bedevilling promotion in the GES, teachers have stayed on their ranks for more than five to six years without being invited for promotion interview, as a result of this a huge backlog has been created, it is a nightmare to be transfered or receive transfer in the GES these days, GES is unable to effect qenuine tranfer requests due to impediment placed on it staff by HRMIS of the Public Services Commission, this has brought untold pressure and hardship on teachers in the service, we call on the Public Service Commission to remove the obtacles it has placed in the path of the GES so that they can function, the leadership of NAGRAT can no longer fold arms and watch teachers suffer such pain and neglect, all teachers in schools that have already reopened should lay down their tools and stay out of the school premises those that are yet to reopened must stay out of the school..."
NAGRAT threatens strike over GES' GH¢10 deductions for ‘compulsory’ insurance
The National Association of Graduate Teachers, NAGRAT in July threatened to lay down their tools if the Ghana Education Service, GES does not cancel the compulsory insurance fee charged teachers.
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According to NAGRAT, teachers did not sign up for the 10 Cedis deduction from their salaries for the insurance policy.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on July 31, President of the Association, Angel Carbonu said if GES fails to halt the compulsory deduction they will lay down their tools.
"NAGRAT is appalled by the insensitive and heavy-handed approach the management of the Ghana Education Service is taking in the GES SIC life policy issue, the unyielding desire of management to impose an insurance policy on staff without their concern creat suspicion as to the real intention of the policy, even though teacher unions have made it clear that such a policy should be optional for interested teachers to apply, GES management thinks otherwise, NAGRAT see the compulsory deduction of the premium from teachers who have not applied to be part of the policy in July of 2019 as an attempt to bully teachers, we call on the GES to immediately stop the illegal deductions and refund all monies deducted to their owners by the end of August, if they do not heed to the advise, teachers will withdraw their services from the first of September 2019."