According to the African Foundation for Educational Development (AFED), the government is hesitant to fulfill the demands of members of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), which has resulted in their strike action.
AFED characterized the administration as callous for failing to fulfill UTAG’s requests.
Despite the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) court order, UTAG has said that they would not return to work until the government fulfills their demands.
They are calling for the reinstatement of a 2012 Single Spine Salary Structure agreement, which would have paid entry-level academics the cedi equivalent of $2,084 per month.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Kwame Adade, AFED said, “The government’s reluctance to attend to the needs of UTAG members, as well as its persistent use of the National Labour Commission (NLC) to intimidate and forcefully return university teachers back to the classroom, demonstrates the government’s insensitivity towards teachers.”
“The union members have done nothing wrong for the NLC to subject them to such levels of coercion, intimidation, and bullying, other than seeking change in circumstances that are worse than they were a few years ago.
The complete disrespect for academics, as well as intimidation methods inside the educational system, must not be tolerated in our beloved nation.
“AFfED thus calls on the President, Nana Akufo Addo, and the Minister of Education to issue an unequivocal apology to all Ghanaian teachers for such statements and treatment.”
Below is their full statement…
PRESIDENT AKUFO ADDO MUST APOLOGIZE TO GHANAIAN TEACHERS
The teacher’s role towards nation building can never be underestimated as they impact many lives that contribute to the human resource capacity of our country.
African Foundation for Educational Development(AFfED) have however noticed with grave concern the unfit treatments smeared on teachers and wish to express our disappointment in the president and his appointees in the Ministry of Education.
1. THE PRESIDENT’S UTTERANCE ABOUT TEACHERS FINANCIAL STATUS
The Presidents recent utterance about not venturing teaching if one wants to be a millionaire is really demoralizing and seeks to drain down the efforts of teachers. This therefore reflects in the government’s undue delay in teacher promotion, refusal to pay responsibility allowance, acting allowance etc. Indeed, teachers cannot be millionaires when the government deliberately neglects its own responsibility.
2. UTAG STRIKE
The government’s reluctance to attend to the needs of UTAG members and its persistent use of National Labour Commission(NLC) to intimidate and forcefully return the university teachers back to the classroom tells the insensitivity of government shown towards teachers. The members of the union have done nothing wrong for the NLC to subject them to such level of compulsion, intimidation and bully, other than requesting for improvement in conditions which are worse compared to some years ago.
The total disregard towards academia and the tactics of intimidation within the education system must not be accepted in our dear country.
AFfED therefore call on the President, Nana Akufo Addo and the Minister for Education to render an unqualified apology to all teachers in Ghana for such statement and treatment pointed at them.
We again demand that, government plays an expediting role for all allowances to be paid to deserving teachers and also address all issues regarding teacher promotion.
Finally, government must grant the request of UTAG by making proposals which are workable within the union so that academic work on the various university campuses would bounce back in full force.
Director- AFfED
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