The President of the Eastern Regional Chapter for the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Godwin Awoonor-Yevu, has intimated that government’s failure to respond to their leadership request after several appeals, shows insensitivity.
As such, Mr. Awoonor-Yevu cautioned that any strike action from them that has the tendency to affect WASSCE candidates should not be seen as insensitive.
“The TUC General Secretary made a passionate appeal to the President on May Day. Prior to this request, the Secretary General in 2021 November had made similar request. Again on 7th June, the Vice President of NAGRAT, Jacob Anaba, requested government as a matter of urgency to grant workers COLA at least 20 percent. Sadly, government has shown great insensitivity to our plight.”
Godwin Awoonor-Yevu
The Eastern Regional NAGRAT President averred that economic conditions have deteriorated, hence the 20 percent allowance must be paid by government. He stated that it is trite knowledge that cost of living in Ghana today is rising with the speed of light which has continued to affect the livelihood of its members sacrificing to build the nation.
“Prices of fuel, goods and services continue to rise, introduction of news taxes had worsened the already bad situation yet salaries remain same. Between January and now, fuel prices have increased by over 50 percent. The teacher is virtually living on life support.”
Godwin Awoonor-Yevu
According to Mr. Awoonor-Yevu, the members of NAGRAT can no longer bear the pain and government must attend to them immediately.
“We have to put wits end, we can go longer bear the pain. We therefore demand of our national leadership that, if at the end of June, 2022 our call for COLA is not heeded to, they have no option than to pay heed to clarion call of our members to lay down our tools.”
Godwin Awoonor-Yevu
TUC hints of a strike
Prior to this, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) called on all workers to be ready to withdraw their services in the coming weeks if government does not grant the 20 percent Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).
The TUC Secretary-General, Dr. Yaw Baah, stated that workers will never rescind their decision on strikes and demonstrations until their demands are met. He posited that the government was yet to grant the 20 per cent Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA) demand they made during the May Day celebration.
“Workers have formed the union, they have selected leaders and to protect their interest. What we all agree is that the conditions now are not good. Inflation is running in the 20 percent, when we were negotiating for public sector workers inflation was less than 10 percent.
“If we, as unions, we are demanding something to improve the lives of workers, we cant call it disturbances, it is our legitimate right to fight for the workers of this country because without them, Ghana will be nothing. We expect government and employers to know that we cannot live with this any longer.”
Dr. Yaw Baah
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