The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called on the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to establish concrete procedures for implementing teachers’ conditions of service, after noting that past agreements have often failed to deliver benefits in a timely manner.
GNAT President Prosper Tachie told JoyNews’ Newsfile that while substantive agreements are reached, procedural details are frequently left unresolved, leaving teachers uncertain about how to claim their entitlements for years.
“We will agree to the substantive document, but when it comes to procedural matters, as to how to assess the benefits within the document, we leave it hanging over the years, and this time round we are not ready for such a commitment,” Tachie said.
The union wants the relevant authorities to specify the exact steps teachers must take to access benefits such as promotion arrears, professional development allowances and digital support allowances. The government has pledged to pay promotion-related arrears to more than 51,000 teachers by October 16, with other allowances expected in November and December.
Following a nationwide strike suspension after talks with the Labour Minister and the Council of State, the union remains firm that discussions on outstanding provisions of the collective agreement will continue. Teachers are expected to return to classrooms on Monday, October 12.
