The Coalition of Concerned Teachers has demanded that negotiations concerning the 2021 base pay must be completed by the end of May, as new taxes take effect.

According to the group, any further delay will make teachers worse off.

The teachers insist they are suffering, describing the amount they are paid as “a pittance” that does not meet their needs.

The president of the group, King Ali Awudu, in a Citi News interview, said the leadership will not be able to contain the frustrations of its members should the government not heed its ultimatum.

“The coalition of teachers in Ghana have taken notice of the statement by the Ghana Revenue Authority to start implementing the new taxes effective May 1. Unfortunately, the government has not concluded the 2021 base pay negotiations with the public sector workers and any attempts to implement these taxes without taking into cognizance the fact that workers in this country specifically teachers are suffering and their take-home salaries do not take them home and the fact we need to speed up negotiations so that the increase in taxes will not make workers so bad and so worse off and then cripple them to a halt.”

“We all came into agreement with the Ministry of Employment to get the base pay negotiations for 2021 completed at the end of April 2021. Unfortunately, the month has ended and even the minimum wage has not been completed by the tripartite committee, on which the base pay negotiations can be completed. The Coalition of Concerned Teachers is sounding a caution to the government that should the base pay negotiations delay beyond May, we will not be able to hold the anger of teachers any longer. We cannot continue telling teachers that taxes have been increased and your salary has been devalued but continue to keep quiet for Mother Ghana.”

Meanwhile, the teachers are also demanding of the government to increase their base pay by 15-25%.

“It is becoming too much and our take-home salary does not take us home. We are calling on the government that, even as it implements the new taxes, it should do everything possible to get the Employment Ministry and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to also complete negotiations on the base pay, all within the same month. We are calling for not less than 15-25% increment in the base pay.”

On the call for salary increments, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) is also seeking urgent intervention from the government to alleviate the economic hardships facing workers in the country.

In a Citi News interview ahead of the May Day Celebration, the President of the Association, Angel Carbonu, said the increased cost of living necessitated the call for salary increments.

“A 15 to 20 percent increment in income will not be bad, looking at the situation that confronts us as workers,” Mr. Carbonu said.

“When it comes to food items, our wives and our sisters and our mothers will tell you that prices of these commodities have all shot up in the markets.”