Are Teachers Going to school Tomorrow Monday
Teacher Unions have declared an indefinite strike, Some Teachers seem divided over the strike, some call it baseless while some are also in full support. Teachers on Strike today Friday 4th November 2022
Some media organizations have attempted to run poll on whether the Director General should go or be allowed to stay with such occurrences not happening again. In most of the polls seekersnewsgh came across, about 70% want him gone with about 17% who selected don’t care.
The teacher Unions are to meet the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations again on Monday 7th November, 2022 at 2:00 pm, Teachers are to wait for further communication from the Unions.
Outcome of an Emergency meeting Between Unions and MoERL and Update on strike
Elvis Jones Nartey Addo writes,
”Colleagues, Let’s take a critical look at the current issues upon which our Union Leaders have declared a strike.
Some of us think these are not issues to drag to the extent of declaring a strike. But let’s take a look at this.
As part of our conditions of service, we have what we call “Scheme of Service” which clearly spells out the various ranks from say a Senior Superintendent to Director General. So a Diploma Graduate who enters the profession knows that as a professional, he can rise through the ranks to become a Director General.
Mind you, all these ranks have their peculiar conditions attached in terms of monetary gains. For instance if the Director is on level 25, it has an effect on his SSNIT, TIER 2 and other allowances including an official car, accommodation and other relevant allowances that have monetary gains to the person occupying that office.
It should therefore be the desire of every serious professional to do all he or she can to rise through the ranks and enjoy all these conditions no matter how small they are before he or she goes on retirement. Unless you decide to be the ” me too I dey inside group of teachers”
The other aspect of it is that there are requirements and conditions one must meet before he or she is promoted to the next rank such as satisfactory work through inspection or by acquiring the right skills through a prescribed course of study. That’s why someone who went to study law or maybe pure banking and finance without the education related courses cannot be regarded as a professional or cannot occupy certain positions per GES’ own conditions.
There are several colleagues in the system like that who cannot use their certificates to upgrade in the GES or use it to apply for promotion because it is not “GES APPROVED COURSE” of study. There are several colleagues who through dint of hard work and course of study have risen through the ranks and qualified to be appointed to the highest position in the service as DG (mind you a lot of them are politically linked since we regard that position as one that is based on political appointment)
Why will someone be marking time to occupy that position before the 4 year clause catches him only to have another person appointed with no professional background or who has not risen through any rank ? This is a clear affront and disregard for GES’ own conditions and our collective bargaining agreement.
Another worrying aspect is that instead of promoting on the 4 year cycle, GES deliberately delays this promotion and even waits for some officers to exit a position before another is promoted to that next rank.
Who does that?
Remember SSNIT uses an average of three years of your best salary to calculate your pension benefits. If you retire on an AD II rank you are paid your benefits based on that rank’s salary together with your TIER 2 benefits. If you retire on a DIRECTOR I rank with all its conditions, you will equally get its benefits.
Remember the recent COLA we received, everyone got it according to his rank. Some got as little as GHc150.00 whiles others got more than GHc1000.00 just because of the ranks.
So the more you delay on a rank because you were not progressed to you next higher rank due to the fact that a retiree is still occupying that office or a different person outside the profession is appointed instead of you, the more financial effect it has on you even if not immediately, later.
Let’s think about this because conditions of service is not always about the immediate cash we get. Let’s support our Union Leaders to fight for our rights. ALUTA CONTINUA!!!”
Teachers are still waiting for their Unions to take the next move, if they don’t hear from them, strike continuous.
UNION STRIKE MESSAGE TO TEACHERS
”We wish to inform the rank and file of our members that effective Friday, 4th November, 2022, GNAT and the other teacher unions hereby declare an indefinite strike over the appointment of the new Director General of GES and other issues related to our conditions of service. You are therefore advised to stay away from work indefinitely until you hear from us your union leaders.”
Thomas T. Musah
General Secretary -GNAT
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