The Coalition of Unpaid Teachers and Arrears -Ghana have served notice of their intention to boycott the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7.
Their decision follows the failure of the government to pay their salaries and other essentials for the teaching services they provide.
In a statement signed by its Secretary, Nana Yaw Yeboah, the group said the government has failed to respond to their needs despite several calls on them.
“We regret to announce that our members will not be participating in the upcoming elections on December 7, 2024. The decision has been made in response to the government’s continued failure to respond to teachers’ plight with regards to members’ salaries, arrears and issuance of staff ID,” the statement read.
The teachers have yet to receive their salaries after working for several months, with some being owed salaries for close to a year.
They claim the situation has resulted in significant financial hardship on them and their families given the prevailing economic quagmire of the country.
“We are not asking for special treatment but rather for basic respect and fairness that we deserve,” the statement said.
The concerned teachers say they will not exercise their civic responsibility in protest against the government until their demands are met.
They are requesting the government to take immediate steps to resolve the issue before the election date.
“We urge all teachers in solidarity to support our stand in demanding fair treatment. We urge the government to take immediate action to address this issue. Until our salaries and arrears are paid together with issuance of staff IDs of our members who have worked for over a year issued, we will continue to withhold our participation in the electoral process,” the statement read.