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Opinions of Thursday, 10 March 2011

Columnist: Bastic, Felix

SSSS – Sickle – Cell Spine Salary Affected Teachers Greatly.

President Mills, you promised teachers that they would receive their reward on earth and no longer in heaven but things turned exactly on the other way round – Negatively.

Concrete steps should be taken to correct all the anomalies and not just correcting the anomalies but an increase in our salaries as indicated by the committed and dedicated NAGRAT leadership. Such a leadership we want! Let me ask this question; Is it a curse to be a teacher in Ghana? If no, why teachers are treated this way under the “so called” SSSS, popularly known as Sickle Cell Spine? In fact, teachers deserve to receive a higher salary than this since the development of human resource lies on teachers’ shoulders.

Why teachers in other countries like Canada, South Africa etc. do not complain or go on strike? Because they are better off in terms of salaries and development is going on smoothly Oh! Pity teachers.

Why teachers in Ghana salaries are not compared with other countries like Canada and among many others? But MPs and among government’s officials demanding astronomical increases in their salaries (despite what they receive) by comparing themselves with other countries? Same should be done to teachers and they should know that teachers taught them all.

Hon. Betty, George Graham Smith and President Mills teachers are not in the mood to return to classrooms until their demands are met. We are so fed up with promises by politicians for a long time.

Even if the leadership of NAGRAT and GNAT call of the strike but teachers will not still return if their demands are not met.

It is rather unfortunate for the pronouncement made by Richard Quashigah, Propaganda Secretary, NDC on Citi News that NPP position on teacher’s agitation is hypocritical. This is not about politics but the plight of teachers so if NPP people are expressing their concerns Quashigah should stop this before teachers become annoy with him.

I urge all members of GNAT to leave and join NAGRAT since the leaders of GNAT are feeble in terms of negotiations and always in bed with the government. I am calling on my colleague teachers to stand united and review the constitution of GNAT immediately such that no leadership should be in power for the time that he or she dies or goes on retirement. But for now, we want the resignation of the leadership of GNAT especially Mrs. Irene Duncan – General Secretary immediately.
I entreat my colleague teachers by saying that the sit-down strike and the strike declared by the leadership of NAGRAT continues until an upward adjustment is made on our salaries and credited in our various banks to better off teachers. We have been taken for granted for so long by politicians.
I conclude by saying that if you want to sign a deal or contract with poverty be in a teaching field.

FELIX BASTIC , a teacher at Tuna - STK
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