Teachers Should Not Use The Future of Students As Bargaining Chip

Francis Annoh-Dompreh, an aspiring Deputy Eastern regional Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress has called on the striking workers to think of the rippling effects their actions could have on the future of the country. Speaking to Peacefmonline.com, he appealed to the conscience of the twelve labour unions who are on strike due to misunderstanding on the second tire of their pension contributions by cautioning especially teachers not to use the future of students as a �bargaining chip�. �..I agree they have the right to demand what is due them but they must also know that there is no way government would refuse to pay them their pension when they are due for retirement. So I want to send a passionate appeal, especially to the teachers to think of the future of their students. �They are on strike and they may get what they are demanding for but do they want a situation where some of their students get into all kinds of social vices because of the fact that they have been left on their own now? What would have happened to the future of that child? So why are we using the future of these innocent ones as our bargaining chip? Why?� Mr. Annoh-Dompreh quizzed. These comments were made in the middle of ongoing agitations on the labour front, which has lead to an indefinite strike with three teacher unions in the country also joining the strike. These unions are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT). Though the three teacher unions are already on strike with other labour groups, the latest strike declared by them [three teacher unions] is to protest the non-payment of their transfer grants and vehicle maintenance allowances. They say efforts to get government to address their grievances have proved futile, however, Francis Annoh-Dompreh deem this action which is being described by many as �a strike within a strike�, as a way of mortgaging the future of Ghanaian students. �..we are all to be careful of our actions because we are either Muslims and Christians who must uphold the virtues of our religions,� the aspiring Eastern regional Secretary of the NDC opined.