Teachers’ strike: We won’t return to classroom until demands are resolved – NAGRAT

The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Jacob Anaba, has said that members of the association will not return to the classroom until the government reaches a concrete agreement with them on their outstanding demands.

According to him, the association declared the strike on October 25 over three key issues: the expired collective agreement, deprived area allowance, and challenges relating to teacher promotions.

Mr Anaba said organised labour has engaged the government on the concerns, but the discussions have yet to produce an agreement acceptable to the teachers.

“Our collective agreement expired since June, we have deprived area allowance and the teacher promotional issues. We’ve spoken to government and our cries are not being heard,” he said.

Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, he said a meeting with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission was held but ended without an agreement.

He explained that the two sides presented proposals during the meeting, with NAGRAT subsequently making a counter-proposal.

“Our meeting with Fair Wages today was inconclusive. They made a proposal and we made a counter-proposal, so they said they are going back for a mandate to be able to meet us again,” he said.

Mr Anaba said the union is now waiting for the government to invite them for another round of negotiations.

He stressed that the teachers would remain on strike until the outstanding issues are conclusively negotiated and a concrete agreement is reached.

“Until we have concluded the negotiations and gotten something concrete on the table, we won’t go back to school,” he stated.

He also claimed that teacher promotions had previously been handled smoothly but said the situation had changed since the National Democratic Congress (NDC) returned to power.

“Our promotions have been smooth until the NDC government returned to power,” Mr Anaba said.

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