Govt Settles ‘Striking’ NAGRAT Arrears

The government has explained that the salary arrears due members of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) have been settled.

Consequently, it has stated that the strike action declared by the teachers on Wednesday was “dead on arrival.”

The Minister of Information, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid who made this known said the arrears have been settled as of Wednesday April 4, 2018.

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) Wednesday declared an indefinite strike over outstanding salary arrears due its members.

The association at a press conference in Accra said it was carrying through its ultimatum issued mid-February to declare the strike should government fail to pay the arrears outstanding since 2013 and amounting to some GHȻ50 million.

The arrears comprise:

• Vehicle maintenance allowances
• Transfer grants
• Transport and travel allowances
• Salary arrears of GES new recruits

NAGRAT in January this year put on hold a planned strike following entreaties by the government.

It however returned to the matter in early February with the ultimatum to advise itself if the issues are not addressed positively at the end of March.

Govt response

Responding in a radio interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme on Wednesday afternoon, Dr Abdul-Hamid said there was an agreement with NAGRAT that the arrears would be paid by the end of March 2018.

He said “March ended four days ago”, and that the Ministry of Finance sent a release letter on March 29 to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) for them to validate the list and pay.

“They have used these few days to validate it. Today [April 4] they’ve paid the money and then you are calling a strike,” Dr Abdul-Hamid said.

He said NAGRAT has been engaged all this while and wondered why they didn’t wait and consulted, “I’m sure tomorrow they will come back and say the money is in their accounts, [because] the advice has gone to the banks.”

Source: Graphic Online