A letter to GNAT National Executives

Ghana Education News| A letter to GNAT National Executives through the local executives of the oldest teacher union in Ghana has surfaced on the internet.

Please our dear GNAT local executives, you are the channel through which our views can reach the National Executives Board of GNAT.

We, therefore, petition through you to the National Executives that, you should have the union members at heart and think of our well-being and our betterment by not increasing the Cancer Fund contribution from Ghc2.00 to Ghc5.00 as you are proposing for your members.

This Ghc3.00 that you want to deduct every month again from our already depreciating salaries can make a difference in our lives.

We, your subordinates are finding it difficult to cope with the hard economy in the country if you are not aware. Prices of things in the market have increased and continue to increase almost every day. Sachet water, bread, grains, fuel, just to mention but a few.
Interestingly, you are much aware of the percentage increased you negotiated for our monthly salary for 2021 and 2022. It is embarrassing to mention 4%.

Many of us have families and other relatives who depend on us and our only source of income, for now, is this monthly salary since some of us are yet to find some business do to as proposed by the president, his Excellency Nana Akufo Addo, to improve on our income.

Aside from the salary percentage issue, there are other problems being faced by your members that you need to take action to help solve. These include; arrears not being paid, difficulties in getting a promotion, alleged failing of promotions exams, promoted teachers not place the right salary scale, removal of responsibilities allowance when one goes on promotion, lack of textbooks for effective teaching and learning, and many others.

Keep reading this all-important letter to GNAT National Executives…

It is hard time you the union leaders sit up and do something meaningful to your members.

GNAT union members deserve better. If anybody will recognize and appreciate teachers it is you that will show it.

We all belonged to the unions such that when one has a problem he/she can be helped out by the union.

Each member contributes dues not less than Ghc30.00 every month. This dues that we all know to be a fixed amount is not what we see when one gets arrears. GNAT always deducts dues arrears like income tax arrears as if you were not paying your dues in full.

Why should the union executives behave as if they are only there just to extract money from their members? The situation we are in now and your request to increase the Cancer Funds from Ghc2.00 to Ghc5.00 shows that you careless about us.

Why don’t you plan to give something to your members that will keep them healthy instead of planning for our cancer treatment?

We know that cancer treatment involves a lot of money, and it is good that the union has acquired the Sweden medical center for cancer treatment.

We also know that the union has invested the Teachers Funds in various forms which gain the union some profit. again by increasing cancer fund deduction. Why not even Ghc3.00 but all of a sudden you want Ghc5.00.

If you can not negotiate with the government to increase our salary by a good percentage, then don’t take the little that we have away.

You have seen that there are a lot of teacher unions already sprouting out due to some of these unnecessary hardships that union leaders impose on their members and if you don’t take time very soon this great number of GNAT members will reduce drastically.

Many are times that other unions even within the teaching fraternity give some juicy incentives to their members at the end of the year to enjoy with their families. But GNAT, if not for the last two years that you gave us only two yards of cloth and polo T-shirts, you have been giving us calendars and diaries to keep records of our debts and sorrows.

Therefore we also plead with you the Executives to think otherwise and use some of the profit you gain from the union investments to support the activities of the cancer treatment center and not to increase the deduction for your members.

Also as GNAT celebrates its 90th Anniversary this year 2021, you should motivate your members with juicy and remarkable incentives. We, teachers, deserve better.

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Thank you.

By a concerned member of GNAT.

SHARE till it reaches the GNAT national executive board.