Wa, March 3, GNA - Teachers in the Wa Municipality on Thursday threatened to hit the streets on Tuesday March 8th if the Government failed to expedite action to address what they described as low salaries received for the month of February under the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS). The teachers, who wore red bands on their foreheads and arms, announced this when they presented a petition to the Upper West Regional Minister, Alhaji Issahaku Salia to register their dissatisfaction with the new salary structure.

The petition signed by 41 of the teachers within the Wa Municipality was read to the Regional Minister by their spokesperson, Mr Adams Iddrisu Issahaku, a teacher at the Kabanye Junior High School in Wa. The petition stated that a senior superintendent, who in the month of January 2011, received GH¢445.73 under the Ghana Universal Salary Structu= re (GUSS), now received GH¢500.13 while a superintendent hitherto taking GH¢343.00, now received GH¢380.00 respectively. The petition described the increment as too marginal to be classified as Single Spine Salary.

It also said President Mills mentioned in the State of the Nation Address that teachers were going to receive their reward here on earth and not heaven again, asking 93is this the reward we are receiving?" The teachers said after the demonstration on March 8, if they did not hear anything positive from the Government they would also embark on a sit down strike from March 9 to 14 of the same month.

The petition also stated that teachers in the Municipality would not participate in the Independence Day celebration if nothing was done about the issue.

Alhaji Salia upon receiving the petition commended the teachers for passing through the right channel to register their protest in pursuit of what they deserved.

He said government was in close contact with their national executives and urged the teachers to exercise restraint and allowed their national executives to dialogue with the government to address the issue. He said government was committed to improving the conditions of servic= e for teachers, stressing that it (government) would not distance itself from fulfilling that promise.

The teachers, who set ablaze the flag of the Ghana National Associatio= n of Teachers (GNAT) in front of the Regional Education block, also locked up their offices and marked the walls with graffiti such as 93No GNAT". They also warned GNAT not to take teachers for granted. 3 March 11

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