The Upper East Regional Chapter of the National Association Of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has threatened to lay down their tools by the end of June 2022 if government fails to pay 20 per cent of their Cost of Living Allowance (CoLA) as promised in 2021.
Addressing the media in Bolgatanga, Mr John Akunzebe, the Regional Chairman of the Association, said the current high cost of living was unbearable for members of NAGRAT.
He noted that there were increments in fuel and food prices without corresponding increase in their salaries. “It is common knowledge that cost of living in Ghana today is rising at the speed of light which has affected and continue to affect the livelihoods of our members who are sacrificing to build this nation.
“The introduction of new taxes have worsened the already bad situation, yet the teacher’s salary remains the same. Between January and now, fuel prices have increased by over 50 percent.
“In the Upper East Region, prices of basic food and other commodities have increased astronomically,” Mr Akunzebe lamented.
Comparing the price difference of some basic food items, the Chairman said the price of a bowl of groundnuts which used to be sold for GH₵18.00, and goes for GH₵30.00, a bowl of maize which was GH₵7.00 was now Gh₵13.00.
He added that a bowl of gari was GH₵7.00 but now sold for GH₵16.00, while a bowl of ‘keta school boys’ (herrings) which used to be GH₵60.00, was now GH₵120.00.
“Lorry fare from Bolgatanga to Accra has increased from GH₵150.00 to GH₵225.00,” the Regional NAGRAT Chair said.
According to him, “The teacher today now lives on the providence of the Lord and we do not know how long this would continue.”
The Chairman said upon countless appeals to government to pay Ghanaian workers their 20 per cent (CoLA) to help mitigate their challenges, failed, and NAGRAT could no longer withstand the hardship.
Mr Akunzebe said government had shown great insensitivity to their plight, and the Union, whose core mandate was to promote the welfare of their members could not sit unconcerned, while “We go through this suffering that has no end in sight.”
“We have come to our wits end; we can no longer bear the pain. We therefore demand of our National leadership that, if at the end of June 2022, our call for CoLA is not heeded to, they have no option but to pay heed to the clarion call of our members in Upper-East Region to lay down our tools.”
Source: mywordfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya