Jul 10, 2012 at 8:17pm

The Coalition of Concerned Teachers say the introduction of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) was a strategy adopted to establish a segregated work force in the country.

The group holds the position that the new pay policy was structured to make teachers less important and say government’s use of “insults, name calling, rude remarks” is the basis of their assertions.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, they claim the use of “individuals who are looking for what they can eat today” in an commercial therefore to portray the current living conditions of teachers is a “fallacious absurdity”.

The much chastised television commercial, featured men portrayed as teachers extolling the virtues of the “better Ghana” as far as teachers’ welfare was concerned.

Several groups including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) have spoken out against the advert. They have variously described it as “embarrassing, containing factual inaccuracies, mischievous representation, diabolic intentions and obnoxious”.

Communications Director of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, King Ali Amidu opined that “some category of workers in the public sector under the Single Spine received 128% and 75% of their gross monthly salary as market premium whiles the lower ranks who are supposed to be diploma holders received 58% of their gross monthly salary as market premium. But no teacher has received anything as market premium.”

He added that, “the Single Spine Salary Structure which is to harmonise and standardize the public sector pay roll and remove inequalities in the Ghana Universal Salary Structure has rather widened the inequalities and in all these teachers are the worst affected.”



By: Philip Kofi Ashon/citifmonline.com/Ghana