In-charge of Salaries and Condition of Service for Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Isaac Baah, says some of their members swerve their wives over ‘chop money’.
He made the statement while disclosing the challenges teachers face, and the reason they have agreed on a strike action.
It’s been day 2 since the various Teacher Unions embarked on strike requesting for 20% of Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) on basic salaries. Their strike has rendered parents and students stranded as well as halt in academic activities.
On Burning Issues, Isaac Baah, revealed that the economic hardship in the country is so enormous that some teachers have to adopt such trick to avoid paying for their domestic responsibilities.
He added that, the Unions believe the government still has enough money to meet their demands, adding until their request is granted, they will not go back to the classroom.
“Look at teachers; in order to run from providing daily chop money to their wives, they wait for their wives to enter the bathroom then they will run out from the house. Some also have to let their family go back to their villages, so it’s a serious situation and if the government doesn’t pay the 20%, it wouldn’t be easy.
“The government has enough money, there is, hasn’t the government been providing fuel coupons for parliamentarians and ministers, do we teachers receive some? There is money; the president has been traveling with chartered jets”.
Contributing to the discussion, Jacob Anaba, Vice President of National Association of Graduate Teachers, said by the time the Education and Labour Ministries tried reaching them for negotiations, it was already belated and that nothing was done during their cries.
“As at the time the government tried to reach us over negotiation, it was already belated, far far belated. We had already threatened to lay down our tool by 30th June if noting is done by the government and we fulfilled our promise.”