Teacher Unions to strike in September over ‘illegal’ insurance policy deductions

Three teacher unions have threatened to withdraw their services from the beginning of the next academic year over deductions made from their salaries under a supposedly unsolicited Insurance Policy.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the three unions said although most of the teachers had objected to the Insurance Policy, blanket deductions had affected the salaries of all Ghana Education Service (GES) workers.

The General Secretary of GNAT, Mr. David Ofori Acheampong warned the teachers will withdraw their services beginning September if the monies deducted were not paid to their members by August ending, The Ghana Report gathers.

“We are asking the GES to stop the deductions by the end of August and refund all amount of money deducted from teachers till date to them. If at the end of August these deductions have not ceased and the money deducted refunded to our members, we shall withdraw our services from September 1, 2019.”

The GES-SIC life policy is a government initiative introduced last year for the GES workers, especially teachers.

It covers life, critical illness and permanent disabilities.

The policy will pay an amount between GH₵9,000 and GH₵18,000 to members who suffer critical ailments such as heart attack, cancer, loss of sight, stroke and other permanent disability.