Accra, Oct. 4, GNA - The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) faced with the fear of its members going on strike, on Wednesday appealed to them to stay focused and to continue with their professional duties while the Leadership continued with negotiations for better salaries.

In a statement signed by Mr Joseph Kwaku Adjei, National President, the Leadership of the teachers said it had obtained the Collective Bargaining Certificate and could not afford to throw it away when they had the opportunity to use it effectively.

=93We take this opportunity to assure the rank and file that the Ghana National Association of Teachers has duly lodged teachers' salary proposals for 2007 with the Government.

=93Negotiations will commence immediately so that the outcome will be included in the 2007 Budget, which would be read by Government in November.=94

Mr Adjei said the GNAT Leadership was passionately assuring all its members that their interest would be duly catered for. =93This year's negotiation will be relentlessly pursued so that the penury our members have been reduced to over the years will be a thing of the past. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander,=94 Mr Adjei said.

Some concerned members of the GNAT in the Upper West Region on Monday embarked on an industrial action to demand better salaries and called for the immediate resignation of the entire Leadership of GNAT. The Concerned GNAT members said they had endorsed the current strike action by the Ghana National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and called on the Government to put teachers on the same salary levels with those of the Health sector as per the Ghana Universal Salary Structure.