NAGRAT threatens strike if not migrated unto SSSS by December

Koforidua, Dec. 25, GNA - The Eastern Regional branch of the

Ghana National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has

threatened to withdraw their services if they are not migrated unto the

Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) by the end of December this

year. In a statement signed by the Regional Chairman of the Association,

Mr Kwaku Djan Asante on Thursday at Koforidua, the Association

expressed dissatisfaction with the pace at which the Fair Wages and

Salary Commission (FWSC) had been working to migrate NAGRAT

members unto the SSSS. He said their major worry with the implementation was that, if the

migration took place in its current structure, 80 per cent of teachers,

from pupil-teacher to the principal superintendent grade, would not

see any increase in salary. Mr Asante said in July 2010, some public sector workers were

migrated unto the SSSS with appreciable levels of increases amidst

praises for government, which lend credence to the impression that

the Single Spine Pay Policy would lead to enhancement of salaries for

public servants. He explained that, per the road map, teachers and educational

workers of the Ghana Education Service (GES), were to be migrated

in December 2010 and the date was agreed upon by the joint

negotiating team made up of the Ghana National Association of

Teachers (GNAT) and FWSC as a result of some concerns raised by

the two teacher-unions. He said since that meeting nothing had been done by FWSC to

ensure that teachers were migrated unto the new pay policy. Mr Asante said if members of NAGRAT were not migrated unto

the SSSS by the end of December 2010, their services would not be

available to students when schools re-open in January 2011.