I have heard calls from people to stop teachers from talking about matters affecting them on social media. Though I am not a teacher I have the interest of teachers at heart so I join any teacher’s link put on any platform I am on.
In fact I join almost all pages that concerns a Ghanaian teacher on all social media networks, from TTAG, CCT-GH, GNAT, NAGRAT, ATAG to mention but a few.
For almost 15 years of following with keen interest matters affecting teachers because my father was a teacher, I can confidently say the worst enemy to the well-being of a Ghanaian teacher is their leaders.
You will recall on September 1, 2006 about 19,000 teachers striked across the country to press home their demand for better working condition of service. It was an action which I thought was best for all teachers yet Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) warned it members to stay off that strike and members of NAGRAT salaries were withheld.
You will also recall in July, 2014, the teacher unions threatened the government with strike actions. Matters the unions especially GNAT raised are unilateral freeze of annual incremental jump, withdrawal of waiver on vehicle of teachers, to mention but few. They made the noise and went mute just some few days.
In August this year, all the three mind-robber teacher Unions- GNAT, NAGRAT,CCT-GH threatened again this government with a strike action in September just to have the attention of the government to take what does not belong to them on behalf of a poor teacher whose salary cannot look after himself let alone raising a family.
I just woke up today to read, these same leaders of teachers have gone ahead to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf the poor teacher without doing broader consultation where an amount of ₵500 will be deducted from the teacher’s PDA and I asked my self “Where did teachers go wrong? Why do the country disrespect teachers in that manner? Why do the leadership of these teachers also decide to rob their own?”
My heart is saddened and I bet this can never happen in any profession including my own Ghana Medical Association (GMA).
Concerned citizen writes….
