Ghana: GNAT scribe deplores delay in pension payments

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Ghana: GNAT Scribe Deplores Delay in Pension Payments

By David Prosper Naoh, Ghanaian Chronicle

July 8, 2003

Konongo, Ghana - The Asante Akim North District Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Mr. Ernest Yaw Kwaakye, has called on the government to halt the delays in pension payments to save pensioned teachers from dying because of misery.

He said due to the delays, some teachers who retired eight months ago have still not been paid, as a result of which “they are virtually on air and water diets”.

Kwaakye, who made the appeal on Friday at Konongo shortly after a meeting with teachers in the district, said, “Tension is mounting among teachers because of the SSNIT Pension Scheme”.

During the meeting, Chronicle gathered that the teachers expressed their disappointment at the government for “taking the plight of teachers lightly”.

The district GNAT secretary urged the minister of Justice and attorney general to expedite action to fashion out the legalities of the Pension Scheme. He said, “The scheme is inadequate as compared with the CAP 30”.

He enumerated some of their grievances as that transferred teachers to the district have not been paid their transfer grants since the year 2000, and that newly qualified teachers have still not been put on the proper salary scale.

According to him, even though they have been teaching since September 2002, they are still receiving trainee allowances.

Kwaakye was not happy that teachers due for promotion have not been invited for their interviews, and cited principal superintendents and above as instances. He wondered when they were going to be invited.

He cited as inadequate ¢10,000 for headteachers and ¢5000 for assistant headteachers, housemasters and housemistresses monthly supervisory allowances as another of their grievances, “it is a great disincentive to their supervisory roles”, he said.

The district GNAT scribe sounded a note of caution to the government that, “neglecting teachers will do no good to the country,” adding that “it does nobody good embarking on strike actions before things are rectified.”