The Bono Regional secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party has stated that Teachers cannot embark on indefinite strike just because of the Cost of Living Allowance as claimed by some teacher unions.
Speaking on Radio the Bono Regional NPP secretary Mr. Boakye stated clearly that he has not seen any reason why some teachers should be demanding for Cost of Living Allowance in this fragile condition. Because almost 40% of government-generated revenue goes into the payment of salaries.
He added that during the pandemic no project was stalled and no single month was a public sector workers’ salaries not paid even though they were at home.
He further explained that the National Association of Graduate Teachers NAGRAT could have requested for salary increment which is within the confinement of the laws of Ghana and not the cost of living Allowance COLA.
According to him, no president in the world has paid any public sector worker a cost of living Allowance, and not even the private sector will pay such allowance to their workers.
Mr. Boakye however questioned the legality of NAGRAT threatening the government over the cost of living Allowance. He noted that because the laws of the country are not working that is why a group of Teachers will be demanding a cost of living Allowance.
He indicated that cost of living Allowance should never be a reason for a Goverment worker to embark on strike action.
“A worker can only embark on strike if only their condition of service is not met, and cost of living Allowance COLA is not a condition of service”. Mr. Boakye noted.
This statement of the Bono Regional NPP secretary follows the recent threat from the various Teacher unions (National Association of Graduate Teachers NAGRAT and Ghana National Association of Teachers GNAT ) that should government fail to pay their cost of living Allowance COLA before the end of the 30th June 2023 they will embark on strike.
