WHERE IS THE SOLIDARITY?
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The major factor that brought about unionism was solidarity. Solidarity to the worker.
But today l ask, where is the solidarity?
The teacher has been abused by the Ministry of education, the Ghana Education Service, directors and even SISO's and there is no one the teacher can turn to unless social media to vent their frustration.
Today, the teacher union l pay dues to, to defend my interest rather choose to dine and protect the interest of the person sent him to protect me from.
When it comes to the issue of upgrading and confirmation, the teacher has to pay bribes from their paltry salaries to have their deserving letters approved by people who are paid to do that for free. But unfortunately, my union have no interest in cases like this.
Just recently, deserving teachers were denied the chance for promotion. As if that was not enough they were made to travel far and near to the headquarters with their documents, only to be told that they have failed. As l watched very senior and old teachers treated as kids, l ask where are the people these teachers pay their dues to? These teachers had to picket at the GES headquarters by themselves like a culprit who had no representative in the law court.
Before the introduction of the new curriculum, teachers were given a very disastrous training, couple with the poor implementation, plus the lack of textbooks which placed pressure on teachers. And for about two academic years, my unions have not found a voice to put pressure on the implementors to do the needful.
Teachers in the Junior High Schools are asked to stay extra two weeks in school just to wait for a standard tests to be written by Basic four pupils. And yes as usual my union sees nothing wrong with the Ghana Education Service going against its own academic calendar. Of course their solidarity does not lie with me.
Now let me tell you what unionism is all about now. Unionism now is like joining national politics, many enter just to enrich themselves. Union leaders, led by teachers and former teachers sees the unionism as an avenue to pay themselves the salaries and gratuity their employer failed to give them.
They are led by the greed to enrich themselves rather than fight for the interest of the people paying them. So whenever the unionist is sent to negotiate on your behalf he weighs what he will get for fighting for you and what he might get for siding with the employer. And definitely the later will fetch him an instant fortune.
They go for meetings and conference to discuss issues that does not directly benefit the teacher in the classroom but the bellies and pockets of the attendees.
The fight and crave for national and regional positions in the unions is on the rise because, many want to climb there to enjoy so they forget that they once suffered in the hands of the employer. But after all who talks when his mouth is full.
My union can unite with other unions on ventures that will benefit them financially. Oh yes, do not ask me about the evidence because in the laptop saga lies enough evidence to satisfy your curiosity.
The social media anger is enough, it is time to rise against this union leaders, perhaps we can start by locking the district offices. Because we must rise against this injustice done to us by people who dine, drive, sleep and wine with our dues.
But surely l know this would not go on forever, one day, the tortoise will begin to run because the danger will be too much.
Perhaps those who will be Kumasi in January to elect national executives for GNAT, can at least vote for leaders that can feel the adrenaline running through every teacher currently, that if they will be any different.
Until we fight the unions, its of no use fighting the government. After all as when your gun fails to shoot you do not blame the woman for failing to get pregnant.
My name is Chief lddi and a member of GNAT.