Mr. Abdulai Seidu Gong addressing journalists in Tamale
Members of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) have threatened to lay down their tools on July 5, 2022, should government fail to grant them their Cost of Living Allowance (CoLA) to help mitigate their sufferings.
The Northern Region Chapter of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) at a press conference in Tamale indicated that the government has shown great insensitivity to their plight and as a Union whose core mandate is to promote the welfare of its members, it cannot sit unconcerned whilst they go through such suffering that has no end in sight.
“We have come to our wit’s end; we can no 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, they have no option but to pay heed to the clarion call of our members to lay down our tools,”the Northern Regional Chairman of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Abdulai Seidu Gong said.
He told journalists that prices of fuel, goods, and services continue to rise by the day, and the introduction of new taxes has worsened the already bad situation, yet the teacher’s salary remains the same.
“Between January and now, fuel prices have increased by over 50 percent. The teacher today is virtually living on ‘life support. In the face of these challenges, Labour Unions pleaded with the government to cushion the Ghanaian worker by granting Cost of Living Allowance (CoLA) to help mitigate the mass suffering of the Ghanaian worker.”
According to him, this year’s National May Day Parade held at the Black Star Square, Accra on 1st May 2022, had the President and the Vice President in attendance, the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr. Yaw Baah, made a passionate appeal to the President saying “Mr. President, I would like to conclude with a special request. Given the rising cost of living, due to high inflation in the country, we would like to humbly appeal to you to use your executive powers to grant a Cost of Living Allowance (CoLA) of at least 20 percent to all public service workers including the Armed Forces, the Police Service, the Prison Service, the Immigration Service, and all security and Intelligence Agencies”.
He noted that before the request by the Secretary-General, in November 2021, NAGRAT, GNAT, CCT, and TEWU had made similar requests.
“Again, on 7th June 2022, the Vice President of NAGRAT, Jacob Anaba, at a press conference, requested the government to as a matter of urgency grant workers CoLA of at least 20 percent to ameliorate the hardship that the Ghanaian worker is facing. Let no one take the coincidence of the 20 percent for granted.”
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale