Techiman teachers resolve on strike action

Techiman (B/A) Oct. 11, GNA - Teachers in Techiman Municipality have resolved to embark on a strike action in solidarity with all teachers and NAGRAT. "The saying that the teacher's reward is in heaven is only a clich=E9 and is extremely outrageous, because that reward should be obtained here on earth", they said in a resolution issued on Wednesday. Mr. Stanley Matthew Ofosu, local Chairman and Mr. J. M. Boakye-Yiadom, local Secretary, signed the resolution, which was directed to Mr. Kwabena Fosu Gyeabour, Techiman Municipal Director of Education.

They sent copies of the resolution to Mr. Prince Yaw Donyina, Techiman Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Joseph Ankomah, Municipal GNAT Secretary and the Media.

The resolution said teachers in the municipality had lost confidence in the GNAT hierarchy and demanded their immediate resignation, since they had disappointed teachers in the country. The teachers also blamed GNAT for not making "a judicious comment" in support of NAGRAT, but had rather described the NAGRAT strike action as illegal.

The GNAT should have rather started the strike action, instead of they folding their arms for NAGRAT to start it before making the "unacceptable statement".

The resolution demanded an immediate new salary structure and remuneration for teachers "so that the burden on them following the introduction of the capitation grant would be lessened".

Meanwhile, Mr Kwaku Asante Nketia, Brong Ahafo regional secretary of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) on Monday appealed to teachers in the region to remain in the classroom and not to embark on any strike action.

He cautioned that it was an offence for any member of the association to embark on a strike action since negotiations (for salary increases) were in progress.

"Any member who absents him/herself from the classroom in the name of any strike action does so at his or her own risk", Mr Nketia said in a telephone conversation with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani. The regional secretary explained that the national executives of the association early this month begun fresh negotiations with the government on their salaries.

Mr Nketia denied reports that members of the association in the region were on strike and warned that members who refused to be in school would not be supported if the authorities took any action against them.