Wa, Oct. 05, GNA - The Upper West Regional branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), on Wednesday appealed to its members who have embarked on a strike to return to work while their leadership negotiate proposals on new salaries and other conditions of service with Government.

The Association described the current industrial action by the teachers as illegal, saying it was inappropriate to go on strike while negotiations were in progress.

"We are just entering into negotiations with government. We have not reached a deadlock in the negotiations. It is therefore important we do not put the cart before the horse," the Association's regional chairman, Mr Paul Adama, said at a press conference at Wa.

The Regional Executive of the Association called the press conference to respond to a strike action by a concerned group of teachers in the region on Monday to back their demands for better conditions of service.

The group had held a news conference during which its members made series of allegations against the leadership of GNAT and asked them to resign. They also levelled allegations of financial impropriety against their regional leaders and expressed support for members of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) who are on an indefinite strike to back their call for improved salaries.

Mr Adama recalled that GNAT at its National Council meeting at Kumasi in August this year decried the abysmally low salaries and poor conditions of service of teachers and resolved not to negotiate 2007 salaries within the parameters of the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS).

He said new salaries proposed for teachers of GES had also been prepared for inclusion in the budget to be read in November and that in preparing this, GNAT took into consideration the de-linking of health sector workers from the GUSS which had resulted in serious disparities in terms of incomes.

Reacting on the call on the GNAT leadership to resign, Mr Adama said the association is governed by a constitution and the decision to have full time staff at the GNAT was taken at a national delegates' conference which is the highest decision and governing body. He reminded the concerned teachers that the mode of rendering accounts to its members at all levels was mainly through accredited representatives at delegates' conference who are required to report back to their constituents.

In the absence of such conferences, and in between them, audited statements of account are made to the executive councils at various levels annually when there was the need to do so.

These statements include all monies generated from projects, as well as budgetary allocations, he said.

Mr Adama also responded to a call by the concerned group for GNAT offices to be made elective, terminal and non-full time, saying, it was a constitutional issue but noted that apart from administrative staff all other offices in the association were elective. 05 Oct. 06