New teachers group accuses GNAT

Accra, May 29, GNA - A new teachers group has been formed with members accusing the parent group of not doing enough for the welfare of members.

The National Progressive Teachers Association (NAPTA), the breakaway group from Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), said they decided to leave because the parent body did not have their interests at heart.

The yet to be registered group with a membership of about 70,000 said bureaucracies and financial constraints had accounted for the delay in getting the union legalised.

At a press conference in Accra, Mr Budu Yaw Asamoa, Acting National Coordinator of NAPTA, said this was because even though they had disassociated themselves from GNAT it was still deducting money from their salaries, a situation that was hampering progress of their work. He noted that joining GNAT had been made compulsory and the teacher had no option than to become a member after the initial training and asked that this be stopped in accordance with the new Labour Law and the constitution, which guarantee freedom of association. Mr Asamoa said GNAT had failed to partner government to sponsor teachers to further their education.

He noted that since the formation of the union late last year, leading members had been the target of abuse and threats from GNAT but added that they were not perturbed.

According to NAPTA they were in total support of the new pay reforms as well as the new education reforms launched by the President recently adding that they would help teachers to adequately prepare students for the future and not for examination purposes only. Mr Asamoa said NAPTA was not a threat to GNAT and noted that they should see their breakaway as a wakeup call and sit up to address issues bothering members as an association.