As part of efforts to solve the impasse between the Labour Unions and other stakeholders in education sector and the Ministry, the Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has held a meeting in Accra today to address the issues raised by the unions.
The unions that raised the concerns included the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) and Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU).
Consequently, NAGRAT and CCT who earlier threatened to embark on strike action have agreed to call off the strike after meeting with their respective Councils by Monday.
Issues discussed include: payment of transfer grants for the teacher rationalisation exercise, issues regarding three months arrears payment, incremental credit, and payment of 2nd Tier pensions and payment of maintenance allowance.
The Ministry of Education would like to state that the Government has not issued any directive or would not implement any directive to the effect that teachers with recruitment/new entrance arrears, promotion/upgrading salary arrears and re-engagement/re-instatement salary arrears would not be paid arrears due them beyond three months.
The Ministry would like to assure affected teachers in these categories that the remaining salary arrears would be paid. However, salary arrears beyond three months would be paid subject to review to ensure that only legitimate beneficiaries are paid what is due them. To that effect, a template was developed in collaboration with GNAT and NAGRAT for the processing of all salary arrears beyond three months for payment. As soon as the data are collated, the Ministry of Finance would go ahead to process it for payment by the end of June, 2014.
On rationalization of the staff of GES, the Ag.Director General has been directed by the Minister of Education to hold on the transfers of teachers until all the issues concerned are resolved.
On payment of transfer grants areas, teachers are to note that transfer grants are meant for only qualified beneficiaries. Meanwhile, information had been sent to all districts to collate data on the qualified beneficiaries. As soon as the data are ready, the Ministry of Finance would be contacted for payment. Moreover, the Minister of Education has directed the Ghana Education Service to ensure that adequate transfer grants are made available to take care of the impending teacher rationalisation exercise that would allow for equitable distribution of teachers in both urban and rural areas.
On the issue with who is the legitimate body to appointment Fund Manager under the National Pensions Act so far as the payment of 2nd Tier pensions is concerned, the parties agreed that the matter is beyond the their borders and have therefore, decided to address it at the Tripartite Committee level.
On the payment of car maintenance allowance, approval has been received from the Ministry of Finance recently for the payment of car maintenance allowance to senior staff in the GES. As such, the processing of the fund for payment has begun and that would be completed as early as possible.
Arrears for incremental credit for teachers from 2010 to 2012, parties have been urged to continue to engage in negotiations.
Present at the meeting were representatives from GNAT, NAGRAT, CCT, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, National Pensions and Regulatory Authority, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General?s Department, Ghana Education Service among others.
