Four teacher unions in Ghana declared a nationwide strike yesterday, over the government’s failure to meet the June 30 deadline for the payment of their Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).
The unions are Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).
“We have been compelled under the current circumstances to publicly communicate to Ghanaians on our intention to go on strike having gone passed the June 30 deadline we gave government for the payment of Cost of Living Allowance. Consequently, we have decided to embark on strike from today, Monday, July 4, 2022. By this, we are informing the general public that we are withdrawing services in all the pre-tertiary education institutions. This includes teaching and non-teaching staff,” leadership of the unions declared at a joint presser on Monday, July 4, 2022.
General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Musah, who read the statement, said the teacher groups are displeased by government’s inability to heed their calls.
The teachers are fighting for the payment of between 20% and 30% of their salaries as a Cost of Living Allowance.
This is coming at a time the government is battling economic woes, and the nation is set to return to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance, for the 18th time.
Notice of the imminent return to the Bretton Woods institution for fiscal support was contained in a communique from the Ministry of Information, indicating that with the full backing of cabinet, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, has authorised the Ministry of Finance to “commence formal engagements with the IMF, inviting the Fund to support an economic program put together by the government of Ghana.”