General News of Thursday, 9 June 2005

Source: Joy

NAGRAT to decide on ending strike action

The leadership of the National Association of Graduate Teachers will be meeting this weekend to take a final decision on whether or not to call off the association?s month-long strike.

Joy News sources say some key decisions were taken during negotiations with the Ghana Education Service over the past two days, brokered by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education.

All sides have declined to disclose details of the outcome until the NAGRAT executives meet on Friday.

The President of NAGRAT, Kwame Alorvi, told Joy News that the final decision lies with the national executive council of the association.

?We told them that since it was council that took the decision to call for the strike action, we will have to go back to council for a new decision to be taken,? he says

He says NAGRAT will convey a meeting this weekend with its national council members scattered across the country to consider whatever option had been given to them.

?I cannot speak for council of about 37 member delegates. Those of us at the meeting were about 10 and we cannot speak for the council,? he says.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) says until it receives certain assurances it will go ahead with its demonstration against the failure of NAGRAT and the GES to amicably resolve their impasse. Abubakar Forgor is the President of NUGS.

? We have been following events and now we are still trying to get the leadership of NAGRAT, GES and chairman of the Parliamentary select committee on education to confirm information, that we have gathered. Meanwhile we are getting to the ground, we still haven?t ruled the demonstration out,? he says.