Members of the Kumasi arm of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers-Ghana has written to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to “express our deepest displeasure about the blatant disregard for the welfare of our members as a result of continuous delay in releasing our mutual funds and welfare dues deductions”.
In a statement, the teachers said this “unfortunate situation started about one and half years ago and it continues to affect all the managers of the teacher unions under the third-party reference system (TPRS) at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD).”
However, the union said “this deliberate haircut” anounced by the former finance minister after meeting the IMF, “is leaving many teachers facing financial uncertainties”. “This unexpected move by the government within this one and half years, has sparked outrage within the education community”, the union noted, adding that it is threatening their responsibilities toward their families.
“The mutual funds and the welfare dues are critical components of our financial security by providing a safety and affordable financial loan for us, the teachers, as compared to the bank loan rate”.
The union said various teaching associations, especially the Coalition of Concerned Teachers-GH, have voiced their concerns, “urging the government to address the issue promptly and transparently, yet the delay in disbursing our funds to access loans is not only affecting individual teachers but rather has a broader implication for the education system’s stability and the overall well-being of the students”.
The group urged the finance minister to prioritise the well-being of its dedicated teachers by “immediately releasing the withheld mutual funds and welfare dues accrued barely six months to our fund managers and the leadership for the needful things to be done for peace to prevail in the education system”.
“We don’t want to cause any labour unrest to get an impact on our lovely students who are already suffering. Thus, we are giving the government and the minister up to next month ending. If these accrued funds and dues are not released, we shall advise ourselves accordingly.”
