Kumasi, Feb 18, GNA - The Ashanti Regional secretariat of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) on Monday expressed dismay about the way the government, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service are handling issues concerning graduate teachers over the years particularly those related to salaries, allowances and other conditions of service.

NAGRAT has therefore called on the authorities as a matter of urgency to make sure that the new pay structure which had been trumpeted over the past two years as the beacon of hope for teachers is implemented without any further delay. This was contained in a statement issued in Kumasi and signed by its chairman, Mr Daniel Boamah-Duku.

It recalled that in October 2006 during the industrial action declared by teachers, government announced a new pay scheme that would be in place in January 2007 but almost two years down the line "that promise to workers is yet to be fulfilled."

The statement said "We the Ashanti Region NAGRAT will wish to remind the government that our resolve to 'rely on water' for better days is being over stretched. We will like to drum home our displeasure as our waiting all this while has been a fiasco."

"The painful aspect of it all is that it is now being rumoured that government is contemplating an across board 10 per cent increase which will only serve to widen the already existing chasm between teachers and other sectors of the economy".

The statement also called on the government to expedite action on the revision of the responsibility allowances paid to teachers as the existing one Ghana cedi a month is now next to nothing. It called on the authorities to ensure a speedy implementation of the new pension reform to save workers from the existing social security scheme "that can do nothing but only hasten pensioners' journey to their graves."

The statement said NAGRAT had not forgotten about the October 2006 salary which was denied them neither had they forgiven the government for this atrocity meted out to them.

It expressed the hope that the government would take the necessary steps to address these nagging issues to maintain industrial peace.