GNAT asks teachers not to teach from Monday

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), has asked teachers to go to school but not teach from Monday, December 14 until issues of negotiations on their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) are concluded with the Ghana Education Service (GES). This is contained in a letter addressed to the Director-General of the GES on Thursday signed by Mrs Irene Duncan-Adanusa, General-Secretary of GNAT. GNAT expressed disgust at the undue delay in the negotiations between the GES and members of GNAT and National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) over negotiations for their Collective Bargaining Agreement, which started in 2006. It said: "Considering recent happenings in the GES and Management's responses to issues on employee conditions of employment, GNAT wishes to state that it no longer has confidence in the capacity, intentions and sincerity of Management to conclude negotiations on the Collective Agreement." The letter said GNAT's intentions to work within the rules of labour relations had been consistently frustrated by the attitude of the GES. "Against this backdrop and considering the current level of frustration, the Ghana National Association of Teachers is advising teachers to go to school and sit down with effect from Monday, December 14, 2009 until the issues of the negotiations on the collective agreement are concluded. The GNAT hopes that the employer will fund the necessary clout to deal with the situation before it gets out of hand." GNAT said among the issues contained in the agreement were increase of supervision allowances; support for teachers on Distance Education Programmes; allowances for teachers in deprived or difficult areas; professional allowance for certified teachers; special allowance for teachers of science, mathematics, ICT and Technical/Vocational subjects and interviews for promotions in the GES.