Graduate Teachers to picket Ministry of Education May 22

Members of the Coalition of Newly Recruited Graduate Teachers have threatened to picket the Ministry of Education on Monday 22 May over non-payment of salary arrears.

A statement released by the group said their intended action has become necessary following the refusal of the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to release their six months’ salary arrears for which they have legitimately worked for.

“There is no justifiable reason behind the non-payment of our salary arrears as financial clearance was granted by the Ministry of Finance five clear months prior to our recruitment. And by the financial clearance, the Ministry of Finance had made funds available for the payment of our salaries,” the statement said.

The statement noted: “Two letters dated 3rd April, 2017 and 1st May 2017 were sent to the Honourable Minister but nothing positive has come out of these petitions so far. The Minister and his outfit have failed to acknowledge receipt of our letters let alone respond to same, talk less of taking measures to ensure that we get our salaries-turned-arrears.”

“We have had enough of the deception and chicanery of GES. How can we work for seven months only to be paid one month’s salary? What will the government do if this inhumane act was perpetrated by a private sector employer? The government that has its main objective of ensuring that the welfare of the citizenry is maximised is rather raping us to death,” the statement added.

The teachers have called on stakeholders of education to respond to their demand, lest they will stop at nothing to picket on the said date.