Volta Region Teachers Slam Government

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) Volta Chapter Tuesday said it was appalled by the laid-back attitude of government in tackling concerns of its members. Mr Felix Tordeytsey, Regional Chairman, told journalists at a news conference in Ho that the government had not only shelved promises it made to persuade NAGRAT to call off an industrial action in 2013 but had also resorted to other anti-teacher policies to make the current situation more volatile. He said the contention in 2013 was �government�s failure to pay teachers their incremental credit for 2011 and 2012, maintenance allowances as well as WAEC failure to negotiate with the teacher-unions on supervision and invigilation allowances�. Mr Tordeytsey said �one year on, the very issues raised by NAGRAT over which teachers went on strike have still not been dealt with�. He said �to add insult to injury, government has decided not to pay accrued salary arrears which extend beyond there months for newly recruited teachers, teachers who are promoted and teachers who are re-engaged or reinstated�. Mr Tordeytsey said �government has also refused to pay transfer grants as well as Transport and Travelling (T and T) expenses to teachers who are transferred�. He said the �West African Examinations Council (WAEC) had still not negotiated the supervision and invigilation allowances for the personnel of the Ghana Education Service (GES)�. Mr Tordeytsey urged government to state its position on these issues by the end of April or NAGRAT Volta would be unable to restrain its 2,500 angry members from any collective action to assert the Association�s position. In answers to questions he said, he could not remember the last time a NAGRAT member or any teacher was paid a transfer grant or T and T. �How do you transfer a teacher in the middle of the year without paying that person any money and expect him to be functional,� Mr Tordeytsey stated. He said directives by government that back pays beyond three months would be paid only on application by affected officers was tantamount to asking benefactors of teachers to wait indefinitely for their money lent to them. Mr Tordeytsey said teachers already were �withering economically� and frustrated and could take it anymore.