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Tag: NABTAG

  • NABCO Trainees Paid November 2021 Stipends

    NABCO Trainees Paid November 2021 Stipends

    President of the NABCO trainees Association of Ghana (NABTAG), Dennis Opoku Katakyie, has confirmed government’s release of one out of the ten months’ arrears owed the NABCO trainees.

    According to him, nine months arrears from December 2021 through to August 2022 are still outstanding.

    “NABCO trainees are hereby informed that stipends payment for November 2021, as one month’s settlement of the ten months arrears, has been processed. In actuality, nine months, counting from December 2021 through to August 2022, are still outstanding.”

    NABTAG

    Contained in a statement, the NABCO President revealed that one month’s payment is only “a speck of the total amount” owed trainees. That notwithstanding, he expressed gratitude to the government, Secretariat and other stakeholders for taking a step in ameliorating the “unfortunate situation” in which trainees find themselves.

    “However, we are imploring government, particularly the Ministry of Finance, to affix trainees’ outstanding arrears into its subsequent allocations to enable the Secretariat to effect payment for the remaining months.”

    NABTAG

    NABTAG cautioned that it will employ every plausible approach to ensure that trainees are fully paid their stipends for the remaining months. It explained that it would resort to “iconic institutions” such as NABTAG headquarters, Ministry of Finance and Parliament House to demand its arrears if members do not receive the rest of their monies within the shortest possible time.  

    “If after a considerable period of time, arrears for the remaining months are not fully paid, the leadership will recruit another draconian measure to forcibly ensure that we are paid. We have done it before, so we can do it again.”

    NABTAG

    NABCO trainees’ foiled protest

    It will be recalled that the Ghana Police Service on September 20, 2022, stopped a planned picketing at the Jubilee House by beneficiaries of the Nation Builders Corp (NABCO). This was disclosed by the leadership of the group.

    Despite  protesting at the Black Star Square to impress upon government to clear the 10-month arrears owed them, trainees are yet to receive any positive feedback on when their allowances would be paid.

    President of the NABCO beneficiaries, Dennis Opoku Okatakyie, revealed that the leadership met with the Greater Accra Regional Police Command to discuss the picketing at the Jubilee House. However, he explained that the Police stated that picketing at the Jubilee House is not possible because the area is a security zone. As such, for some security measures, the Police did not allow the NABCO trainees to picket, but rather encouraged them to go back to Independence Square, to which they declined.

    The group served a fresh notice of picketing at the Jubilee House, given the government’s failure to pay them allowances due them. In a statement, it expressed worry that protests it has held in the past have yielded no results.

    The statement noted that after exhausting all possible avenues, including the recently held picketing followed by the time window given to government convince them to getting NABCO members arrears paid, the same issue lingers. The NABCO trainees highlighted that it is clear that their welfare is not of concern to the government.

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  • NABTAG Demands Unpaid Allowance Before Commencement Of YouStart

    NABTAG Demands Unpaid Allowance Before Commencement Of YouStart

    The NABCO Trainees Association of Ghana (NABTAG), has called on government to make payment of its eight months unpaid allowances before YouStart commences.

    According to the Association, it is utterly displeased about the situation and seeks to apprise government of the “horrible state of affairs” gripping NABCO trainees. This, it explained, is erupting out of the unpaid allowances, “much less the unspecified arrangement for trainees’ absorption” into sustainable jobs.

    Contained in a statement signed by the national President of NABTAG, Dennic Opoku Katakyie, it revealed that the operational mechanism of the scheme, as long as acquisition of job readiness skills and experience are concerned, objectively qualifies members to commend government for envisioning the initiative. However, the Association indicated that the prevailing circumstances concerning trainees welfare “do not cast a bright image over our prospect”.

    “It does not send the right signal when you have not paid NABCO trainees for the past eight (8) months, which has plunged them into severe hardship, but readying for the launch of YouStart. What positive assurance can that serve to inform the public on the outlook of the YouStart?”

    NABTAG

    NABTAG iterated that since the directive was divulged up until now, trainees have been dutifully reporting to work with no pay for the past eight months, which “amounts to a serious national security threat” as a nation. In lieu of this, the Association expressed its disappointment in government’s move towards the YouStart initiative.

    “We do appreciate the ongoing process aimed at enrolling section of trainees on to the yet-to-be-launched YouStart program. But we are pleading with government to pay the arrears due the disgruntled trainees, because we are suffering.”

    NABTAG

    NABTAG previous calls unattended to by President

    The Association bemoaned the “President’s nonchalant attitude” over the current situation, which it described as “disparaging to its lowest point”. It highlighted that NABTAG has placed several calls for him to intervene, but the issue keeps exacerbating.

    To address the situation, NABTAG implored the Ghana Education Service to “consummate its process” in offering permanent appointment to educate Ghana’s trainees.

    “The data collection exercise has been hanging far too long with no positive outcome. Information reaching me indicated that Ghana Revenue Authority is provisionally cushioning its trainees. We hope that the step taken will culminate in permanently placing them.”

    NABTAG

    Prior to this, the Coalition of NABCO Trainees in May this year threatened to embark on a demonstration on June 10 over unpaid allowances. The Coalition revealed that the economic situation of trainees had worsened due to the failure of government to pay their seven months allowance after the government had asked them to remain at post.

    In a press statement signed by Frank Quansah, the National Secretary for NABCO Trainees, it stated that the hope of trainees in their career exit pathway had been curtailed owing to the delay by government to migrate them into permanent mainstream work.

    It noted that all efforts to get the government to fulfil its promise and pay an accrued sum of GHC 4,900 to each trainee had been fruitless.

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