General News of Wednesday, 9 March 2016

Source: thechronicle.com.gh

Vote out NDC - Teacher unions tell members

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Teacher Unions in the Ahafo Ano South West constituency has tasked all teachers and educational workers to vote against President Mahama and his NDC government at the November 7 elections.

The communications Director of the union, Patrick Okyere Afriyie stated in a press statement that voting the government out is the only way to save them from victimization at the hands of the government.

According to the statement, teachers are being victimized and intimidated by the government, contrary to Article 191 of the 1992 Constitution, which stipulates that: “a member of the public services shall not be victimized or discriminated against for having discharged his duties faithfully in accordance with the constitution”.

It stated that, the government was using the BNI to intimidate and victimize teachers and charged all Teachers and educational workers to unite for a change in government. According to the statement, it is only under the present government that Access course, Teacher Trainee allowances and Transfer grants for teachers have been cancelled, while teachers have been excluded from taking part in the workings of the Electoral Commission (EC).

The statement further stated that, arrears of teachers and educational workers have also not been paid, which situation was described as very sad. They described the certificate verification exercise as embarrassing, since the exercise is mostly carried out during instructional hours at the expense of students preparing for the BECE exams.

They called for a similar certificate verification exercise to be made for the civil and public sector workers, or everybody on the payroll after embarrassing teachers; else teachers and educational workers union would believe the present government has a hidden agenda against them.