Accra, March 29, GNA - All personnel within the Ghana
Education Service (GES) who qualify for the 15 per cent
Retention Premium agreed with the government earlier this
month will enjoy it alongside their March salaries to be paid in
the first week of April.
"The Government is pleased to announce that the
negotiating team has completed work on the teachers' salaries
and the anomalies that characterised GES under the Single
Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) have been rectified," an official
statement signed by Mr Baba Jamal Ahmed, Deputy Minister
of Information said. It added that no personnel within the GES had as yet
received his or her March salary, contrary to reports that
teachers had been paid their March salaries without the 15 per
cent Retention Premium.
The negotiating team comprises the Ministers of
Employment and Social Welfare; Education and Finance and
Economic Planning, the Fair wages and salaries Commission
(FWSC), the GES and the Controller and Accountant-
General's Department (CAGD). The negotiating team said a technical committee made up of
the FWSC, GES, teacher unions within the GES, namely the
Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and National
Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and CAGD
tasked with the responsibility of correcting the anomalies had
checked and cross-checked to rectify the anomalies. "Considering the volume of work involved in rectifying the
errors identified, payment of salaries to GES staff has delayed
by a week. This is to ensure a clean payroll database for March
2011 salaries, devoid of any discrepancies." The technical committee noted that the anomalies came
about as a result of wrong grade and pay point placements in
the SSSS. "Government would like to assure all affected staff of the
GES in particular and the Ghanaian public in general that it
would keep all agreed terms by the negotiating team and is
committed to teachers' welfare."
The government extended its appreciation to all personnel
within the GES and the general public for their patience and
understanding in resolving the matter.
