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Deputy Finance Minister, Mona Quartey has apologized profusely to striking teachers for the ministry�s failure to attend meetings called by the National Labour Commission to address issues concerning their unpaid allowances. Riled by the apparent snub in updating them on progress being made by the ministry, three teacher unions - Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) - declared a nationwide strike starting tomorrow, 28th October, 2014. Teachers are also accusing the Ministry of Finance of deliberately frustrating newly trained teachers from performing their duties effectively. Sounding apologetic, Quartey said it was not intentional for the ministry to disregard meetings to discuss such crucial issues. However, she used the ongoing IMF negotiations as an alibi to explain why they could not honour the investigation. �I heard that they have been calling the Ministry of Finance to the negotiation table and we haven�t been able to come. If that is true, then of course I do apologise, we should come to the table when they call. �As you know, the Ministry of Finance has been very busy working with the IMF; we have also been busy recently working on our budget, which will be coming out in the middle of November. So let me apologise if no one has come to the table�.but [being busy with the IMF] is not an excuse,� she said remorsefully. The striking teachers also raised issues with regards to their car maintenance, payment of their incremental credit arrears as well as payment of transfer grants. But Mrs. Mona Quartey who is barely four months in office, admitted she was not privy to some of the issues raised and promised to get better education on them to ensure speedy resolution. She therefore appealed to the teachers to exercise patience while the ministry takes steps to go through the proper process to avoid payment to persons who do not deserve it. She nonetheless confirmed the payment of three months salary arrears to newly trained teachers, and added that additional three months have been worked on and are being considered by the Auditor General�s Department. She also noted that the recruitment process was not done properly, hence the need to recheck it in order not �to over blow our budget � [and also] to prevent another scam on our hand� like what is raging at the National Service Secretariat. President of National Association of Graduate Teachers, Christian Addai Opoku although appreciated the fact that the deputy minister was new in office, he reminded her that issues bothering on newly recruited teachers date back to 2011. But Mrs. Mona Quartey appealed: �I just entreat the teachers not to go on strike, because they know the valuable service they are offering the children of this nation. Going forward, what I can do is to find out more about this, and see how best to create efficiencies and to speed up some of things that have been going on already.�