Coalition of Newly Recruited Graduate Teachers to Boycott May Day Celebration

By Matilda Asare

The Coalition of Newly Recruited Graduate Teachers has threatened to boycott the May Day Celebration, May 1, 2017.

The International Labour day is celebrated on May 1 in several countries around the world. It is an important celebration for Worker's movements, Trade Unions and other leftist organisations. In Ghana, it is referred to as May Day or Worker's Day.

However, the Coalition says the event is worth celebrating. This was contained in their statement issued April 30, 2017.

The statement also expressed disappointment in government over its failure to pay their arrears.

The statement added: " We are left in the dark speculating when our salaries will hit our bank accounts. We are therefore by this press release informing the whole world, particularly the Government of Ghana, that the public sector teacher has been taken for a ride for far too long. We cannot and will not participate in this Workers' Day celebration which comes off tomorrow, as there is nothing worth celebrating."

Below is the statement:

COALITION OF NEWLY RECRUITED GRADUATE TEACHERS OF GHANA 30th April, 2017. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COALITION OF NEWLY RECRUITED GRADUATE TEACHERS TO BOYCOTT 2017 WORKERS' DAY CELEBRATION

We the members of the Coalition of Newly Recruited Graduate Teachers wish to express our disappointment and discontent in the government over the non-payment of our salary arrears and delay in payment of salaries for the month of April 2017.Globally, 1st May is the day dedicated to celebrate all categories of workers.

Ghana being a part of the comity of nations will be marking the day as has been the norm. While the day will be replete with promises and assurances of improving the working conditions of the Ghanaian worker by the government, particularly those in the public sector, it is intriguing to note that teachers in the public sector in Ghana are yet to be paid salaries for the month of April, 2017.

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As if that is not enough a plight for the public sector teacher, newly recruited graduate teachers who were employed in September 2016 have only been paid one-month salary (salary for the month of March 2017) out of the outstanding seven months of service to the nation. Even with this, not all of us were paid.

All promises to pay us our salary arrears have not seen the light of day.To rub salt in our injury, second cycle schools re-open this week and we are expected to report to duty.

How do we transport ourselves to our various places of work? Controller and Accountant Generals' Department has no courtesy to communicate to us the reason for the delay in the payment of salaries for the month of April.

We are left in the dark speculating when our salaries will hit our bank accounts.

We are therefore by this press release informing the whole world, particularly the Government of Ghana, that the public sector teacher has been taken for a ride for far too long.

We cannot and will not participate in this Workers' Day celebration which comes off tomorrow, as there is nothing worth celebrating.... ...

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