The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has condemned the recent strike embarked upon by the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana (CCT), saying it was tantamount to acting in bad faith.

According to GNAT, its rival teacher unions had sinister motives in jumping the gun to lay down tools as negotiation with government was still ongoing.

These were said by Awotwe Nkansah, the Deputy General Secretary of GNAT, at a meeting with journalists in Accra on Monday, May 19.

Mr Nkansah said NAGRAT, especially, wants to take undue advantage of the prevailing situation to paint GNAT in a bad light.

“The point is that they are calling GNAT anti-teacher in the sense that when they first go with the issue and we sit back, they tell the teachers that GNAT [leaders] are the people frustrating our move,” he told the journalists.

‘Teacher of excellence’

He condemned the recent strike by NAGRAT and CCT, saying that action does not suit “a teacher of excellence”.

“As teachers of excellence, NAGRAT in particular should be reflective in matters of educational business in the face of ICT and enterprising paradigm involving globalization, regionalization and localization of teachers,” he stated.

GNAT's Deputy General Secretary in charge of Administration and Labour said as characteristic of the motto of the Association, its members will not be cowed into joining in the strike since "We live to teach, not teach to live".

“Our rival union should take note that we have no ill-will against their going on strike but we of GNAT will not rush our members into a strike that is unproductive, ill-prepared and will cause so much disaffection within the rank and file of the professional community of teachers.”