Graduate teachers threaten court action against NAGRAT

Sunyani (Brong Ahafo), 16 Feb '99 -

About 30 aggrieved graduate teachers in the Brong Ahafo region have threatened to institute legal action against the Ghana National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Accountant General's Department for wrongful deduction of one thousand cedis from their monthly salaries as NAGRAT dues. According to them, membership of any association in the country is voluntary and the fact that they are graduate teachers does not make them automatic members of GNAT.

A spokesman for the graduate teachers, Mr John Adjei, who gave the warning at a press conference at Sunyani said, however, that the court action would be instituted only if NAGRAT fails to stop the Department from deducting the dues and refund what have already been deducted with interest within the stipulated period. He said they have on no occasion attended any meeting with NAGRAT and neither have they gone through any process to merit such illegal and wrongful deduction from their salaries.

Mr Adjei, who is also the headmaster of Boakye Tromo Secondary Technical School at Duayaw-Nkwanta said that they still belong to the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and do not intend to belong to the NAGRAT, which he said, is not accountable to anybody for the dues being collected. He said NAGRAT has the legal obligation to respect the Constitution of the country and not coerce all graduate teachers to join it against their will. Nana Kwabena Ameyaw, the Tano district director of education and regional chairman of GNAT said the erroneous impression being created that every graduate teachers is a member of NAGRAT is a misconception and should be debunked. He said it is better for GNAT and NAGRAT to co-exist and solve their problems internally instead of the formation of splinter teachers associations since this will not be in the interest of teachers.

The Deputy Regional GNAT secretary, Mr Awotwe Nkwansah reiterated the need for GNAT and NAGRAT not to wage war over the deduction of dues. According to him graduate teachers, who want to remain with GNAT should declare their stand and those who would want to be with NAGRAT should also feel free to do so.