The Northern Region branch of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) is to embark on a sit-down strike from Monday, 10 June to press for the implementation of the new salary levels and other allowances negotiated on 1 August 2001.

Speaking at a news conference in Tamale on Tuesday, the Regional Vice-Chairman of the Association, Mr Munkayila King Zakari, expressed dissatisfaction at the downward review of the approved salary levels and appealed for the presentation of the new salary levels to the Controller and Accountant-General's Department without delay.

"We did not understand why the GES should go ahead to implement data on graduate teachers submitted much later by district directors instead of what we presented", the NAGRAT said.

The Regional Vice-Chairman urged the government to implement the new salary structure for graduate teachers with the proposed classification for its members, since the present salary structure, whereby both graduate and non-graduate teachers were lumped together was "a disincentive to the graduate teacher".

Mr Zakari urged the government to act promptly, especially in the implementation of new salary scales of senior superintendents and superintendents, which should have started on 1 August 2001. The association also called on the government to appoint a member to serve on the GES Council and all other educational bodies in the GES.