‘Pay our accrued mutual funds, welfare dues by April 30 or we take action’ – CCT to gov’t

In a statement dated Sunday, March 10, the Coalition lamented the struggles its members are facing owing to the government’s “continuous delay in releasing our mutual funds and welfare dues deductions.”

The Coalition noted that the delay in releasing the funds started “about one and half years ago and it continues to affect all the managers of the Teacher’s unions under the third-party reference system (TPRS) at the Controller and Accountant, General Department (CAGD).”

“We the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Gh; (CCT, Gh.) in the Kumasi Metropolis wish to unequivocally 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,” the statement in parts read.

It further indicated that the mutual funds and the welfare dues are critical components of the coalition’s financial security.

It added that the funds support their members by “providing a safety and affordable financial loan for we the teachers, as compared to the banks’ loan rate.”

It, however, blamed the government’s haircut programme for deliberately leaving “many teachers facing financial uncertainties.”

“This unexpected move by the government within this one and half years have sparked outrage within the education community and the livelihood in most of us who recognize the essential role of both the nuclear and the extended families in our society,” it said.

“We are strongly urging the Financial [Finance] Minister to prioritize the well-being of our 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 impact on our lovely students who are already suffering.

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“Thus, we are giving the Government and the Minister up to next month ending if these accrued funds and dues are not released hmm, we shall advise ourselves accordingly,” it warned.

The Coalition therefore urged the government and the finance ministry to address their issue, as any more delays would have “a broader implication for the educational system’s stability and the overall well-being of the students.”

Below is the full statement: