The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has called on the government to pay heed to their call for “cost of living allowance” or else face their wrath, in a press conference addressed to the media on Tuesday June 21^st, 2022, the Ashanti Regional chair person of NAGRAT, Mr Francis Owusu, says, the government obstinacy is practically infuriating the Association and if the government refuses to play according to their tune, they will no option than to lay down their tools.

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PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE ASHANTI REGIONAL CHAIRMAN OF NAGRAT (MR. FRANCIS OWUSU) ON TUESDAY 21^ST JUNE 2022, AT THE REGIONAL SECRETARIAT, KUMASI

Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, we have invited you here as our medium to draw the government’s attention to the deteriorating economic conditions of the teacher and for that matter the Ghanaian worker in general. As you are all aware, the cost of living in Ghana today is rising with the speed of light and has not shown any sign of abating.

Prices of fuel, goods and services continue to rise by the day, yet the teacher’s salary remains the same. Between January and now, fuel prices have increased by over 30 percent, not to talk of other goods such as food, building materials etc. Inflation rate accelerated to 27.6% in May 2022, from 23.6% in April. Food inflation is currently at 30.1% as against 26.6% in April with transport being 39%. With all these worsening economic conditions, the teacher today is virtually living on ‘life support’. 

As a result of this precarious situation the worker finds him or herself, Labour Unions pleaded with government to cushion the Ghanaian worker by granting Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to help mitigate the mass suffering of the Ghanaian worker.

At this year’s NATIONAL MAY DAY PARADE held at the Black Star Square, Accra on 1^st May 2022, which had the President of the Republic, the Vice President and other ministers including the finance minister in attendance, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, made a passionate appeal to the President and I quote “Mr President, I would like to conclude with a special request. Given the rising cost of living, due to high inflation in the country, we would like to humbly appeal to you to use your executive powers to grant a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) of at least 20 percent to all public service workers including the Armed Forces, the Police Service, the Prison Service, the Immigration Service and all security and Intelligence Agencies”. Prior to this request by the Secretary General of TUC, in November 2021, NAGRAT, GNAT, CCT and TEWU had made similar requests.

NAGRAT reiterated this demand, on 7^th June, 2022, when the Vice President of NAGRAT – Mr. Jacob Anaba, addressed a press conference, appealing to the government, to as a matter of urgency grant COLA of at least 20 percent to teachers to ameliorate the hardship facing the teacher.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, sadly, government has shown great apathy to our plight as workers to our discomfort. The situation is becoming dire, and we want to use your medium to notify the Government that the leadership of Nagrat and the other unions may not be able to restrain their members any longer if nothing is done immediately.

We have come to our wits end, we can longer bear the pain. We therefore demand of our leadership that if at the end of June, 2022, our call for COLA is not heeded to, they have no option than to pay heed to the clarion call of our members to LAY DOWN OUR TOOLS.

God Bless Ghana

God Bless NAGRAT

God Bless the Ghanaian Worker

The graduate Teacher! For Excellence

Source: ..........www.sompaonline.com//Eric Murphy Asare

WE THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.

FRANCIS YAW OWUSU (REGIONAL CHAIRMAN) ___________________

BABA ATINDAANA JOSEPH (REG. SECRETARY) ____________________

ROLAND OWUSU SEKYERE (REG. FIN. OFFICER) ___________________

ALHAJ ALHASSAN NINCHE (REG. ORGANISER) _____________________

ADLAIDE BIYAA POWERS (LADIES CORDINATOR) _________________