Parents fume over gov’t–labour brouhaha

As Labour Unions in the country continue to engage in a ‘fight’ with the government over the management of their Tier Two Pension Scheme, some parents whose wards are at the receiving end of the resultant strike action are now talking.

It is certainly not a good moment for parents who have wards in public basic schools.

After struggling tooth and nail to pay school fees, the children are idling about in the house because of strike action by teachers.

The situation appears to have been exacerbated by the fact that colleague parents who can afford private schools, known locally as ‘international schools’, wish their wards good bye in the morning or drop them at school before proceeding to work.

Some parents are also contemplating withdrawing their wards from the public schools and enrolling them in private institutions, regardless of the cost.

Watching their little investments go down the drain and their children roaming about in town, engaging in all forms of harmful activities, some concerned parents are appealing to the Government and the Labour Unions, particularly the Teachers’ Association to the smoke peace pipe in order to pave way for academic activities to continue.

Sharing their sentiments in separate interactions with The Chronicle, some concerned parents expressed mixed reactions to the stand-off between Government and the Unions, with most of them calling for the halting of hostilities and adoption of negotiation.

Whilst many see the action by the unions as a legitimate one to protect their future investments, others also say the use of legal force by government is not the best solution.

Others, however, remain indifferent and only want to see their children back to the classroom.

Fifty-five Year old (55) Mr. Alex Kyerematen, a Store Owner at Anwomaso, wondered why governments, especially the current administration, always sits down and allows teachers and workers to go on strike before trying to resolve their grievances.

According to him, he does not see the usefulness of the Education Ministry and the Minister in charge, “that they always have to sit aloof and allow issues to degenerate into an extent that workers decide to lay down tools before acting,

“I have three kids at Weweso Primary School; since the strike they have been in the house, meanwhile I have paid fees to cater for their tuition and other expenses.

Even when they say basic education is free, we still continue to pay but teachers are not working”, he complained.

He said he might likely consider withdrawing them and seeking admission for them at Holy Trinity School, a private education institution located nearby.

A taxi driver at Oduom, Osei Michael, put the blame squarely at the doorsteps of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, for on several occasions, failing to act swiftly to avert situations like strike action by workers.

“Then what is the essence of leadership if you can’t settle issues with your workers and they would always embark on strike, these are the reasons why I have even decided never to spend my time to go and cast my ballot because I don’t see any kind of service they render to us”, he lamented.

Angry Michael, who initially felt apathetic when approached for his comment, further queried: “Massa you see how I am sweating behind the steering wheel, I will do this from morning till night falls and then the little that I earn, I will use that to pay fees of my kids only for them to stay at home because teachers say they will not teach. And in all these, they will come back and tell me to go and join queue to vote, ‘twea kai’, I won’t,” he stated point blank.

He however spared some words for teachers in the country, blasting them for their penchant to resort to strike action at the least opportunity.

“These teachers too should consider us small, aba, small thing strike, small thing strike, why are they the only people whose conditions of service are bad, Massa they should think about us sometimes,” he whined.

Michael said his major concern was that these teachers, when they go to school, will not even spend quality time with the students and will rather chat about football and other matters and then pack their books home.

“The other time I decided to make an unannounced stop at my children’s school and at 10 am that I got there, all the teachers were at Staff Room making noise”, he alleged.

The Chronicle has, however, refused to mention the name of the school, because we cannot verify the authenticity or otherwise of the allegation.

An educationist, who refused to be identified, said strikes of such nature have serious ramifications for the already poor system of education in the country.

According to him, compelling teachers or workers to resume duty, using the legal system is not the best, stressing that in situations like this, it is better to appeal to the conscience of stakeholders than to use the law.

He noted that successive governments have refused to adequately consider the needs and welfare of Ghanaian workers, especially teachers, and these concerns, according to him, have aggravated into something big.

For him, the strike is not only about the Two Tier Pension but rather other past issues which governments have failed to tackle, are all part of it.

On Friday, October 31, 2014, the Attorney-General on behalf of Government secured an interlocutory injunction from the High court to compel the workers to end the strike and return to work.

Minister for Communications, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, in an interaction with journalists yesterday over the issue said the government was “guided solely by the supreme interest of all Ghanaians and the need to end the suffering we are going through as a result of this strike action.

“When we discuss the need for productivity to be enhanced, we must believe we mean just what we say. When we talk about expanding the “pie” so we can all share equitably in the form of salaries and wages, infrastructure and services, we must believe we mean exactly what we say.

The goal of enhancing productivity is not being served well if we embark on strikes such as this one on Tier 2 Pension Scheme, even when not a single pensioner will be deprived of his/her benefit come January 2015?, he noted