The Ghana Education Service, GES will on August 2 meet with the National Association of Graduate of Teachers, NAGRAT over their intended strike.
The GES is forced to meet with NAGRAT after they threatened to embark on strike action over the compulsory insurance deduction by officials of GES.
Speaking to Citi FM ahead of the planned meeting, President for NAGRAT Angel Carbonu said they are hopeful their concerns will be addressed.
"Is a followup to the concerns that we raised, so the GES invited us to the meeting so when we go we will know the response to our concerns, we expect that our concerns we will be addressed but if not they should expect strike on the first September."
NAGRAT threatens strike
NAGRAT has threatened to lay down their tools if the Ghana Education Service, GES does not cancel the compulsory insurance fee charged teachers.
According to NAGRAT, teachers did not sign up for the 10 Cedis deduction from their salaries for the insurance policy.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on July 31, President of the Association, Angel Carbonu said if GES fail to halt the compulsory deduction they will lay down their tools.
"NAGRAT is appalled by the insensitive and heavy-handed approach the management of the Ghana Education Service is taking in the GES SIC life policy issue, the unyielding desire of management to impose an insurance policy on staff without their concern creat suspicion as to the real intention of the policy, even though teacher unions have made it clear that such a policy should be optional for interested teachers to apply, GES management thinks otherwise, NAGRAT see the compulsory deduction of the premium from teachers who have not applied to be part of the policy in July of 2019 as an attempt to bully teachers, we call on the GES to immediately stop the illegal deductions and refund all monies deducted to their owners by the end of August, if they do not heed to the advise, teachers will withdraw their services from the first of September 2019."
Policy
The GES in a letter dated February 27, 2019, and signed by Director General, Professor Kwasi Opoku Amankwa urged the teachers who are not interested in the deal to fill an exit form available at all GES offices country-wide.
Under the policy, all teaching and non-teaching staff of the Service who die or suffer a permanent disability would be given a cover of up to ¢18,000 depending on the medical report.
Those who suffer illness such as cancer, stroke, major organ transplant and kidney failure would be given a cover-up to ¢9,000. A critical illness that renders a member totally and permanently disabled receives a full pay-out of ¢18,000.