The President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Prosper Tackie, has cautioned teachers against allowing partisan politics to influence discussions on their welfare and working conditions.
He said political divisions among teachers could weaken efforts by teacher unions to negotiate better conditions for their members.
Mr Tackie made the remarks at the maiden edition of the Atinka Teachers Forum held at the Sika Hall in Accra.
He said some teachers who belonged to political parties sometimes misunderstood union decisions and accused their leaders of pursuing political interests.
According to him, such claims could create unnecessary divisions within the teaching profession.
Mr Tackie explained that salary negotiations under the Single Spine Salary Structure were handled through organised labour at the national level, while issues relating to teachers’ collective agreements were negotiated with the relevant sector authorities.
He said teachers needed to understand the negotiation process before criticising their union leaders.
The GNAT President also said union leaders had a responsibility to properly explain negotiations and agreements to their members to prevent misunderstandings.
He urged teachers to remain united and focus on issues that would improve their welfare and working conditions.
Mr Tackie said GNAT would continue to engage government and other stakeholders to protect the interests of teachers and ensure that their concerns received the necessary attention.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Ebenezer Madugu
