The Coalition of Unemployed Trained Teachers (CUTT) has formally rejected the government’s recent decision to recruit only 6,100 teachers from the 2023 graduate cohort, labeling the decision as discriminatory.
Paul Kakari, the National Organizer of the Coalition, raised serious concerns regarding the government’s approach and the selection criteria for the 6,100 positions.
He stressed that the current unemployment figure, stating that there are 17,000 qualified unemployed teachers within the cohort and demanding the immediate recruitment of all members.
Mr. Kakari strongly disputed the government’s claim of insufficient funds, citing evidence of substantial financial allocations elsewhere.
He pointed to two specific examples including
the government’s decision to increase presidential staffers’ salaries by 67 percent and the allocation of over $1.2 billion for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
He maintained that the state possesses the financial capacity to accommodate the full 17,000 teachers but has deliberately chosen not to do so.
“We have rejected the proposal to recruit only 6,100. We are 17,000, and we demand clearance for the entire 17,000. What exactly will be the criteria in selecting the 6,100? Who will be selected? The government claims it lacks the resources to recruit all of us, but this is clearly untrue. The government has increased the salaries of presidential staffers by 67 percent.
The government asserts it does not want to disrupt the payroll; however, it has allocated over $1.6 billion to the Ghana Armed Forces to purchase new aircraft. You claim not to have resources to recruit new teachers yet find the means to increase salaries by 67 percent and allocate significant funds for defense procurement. They possess the resources, and therefore they must recruit all of us, or they will face our collective action.”
The Coalition has issued a two-week ultimatum to the government to address their demands favorably.
“We have given the government a two-week ultimatum, and we expect a favorable response. If we do not receive a clear commitment from them, the public will be informed of our next course of action.”
When asked why they don’t accept the recruitment of the 6,100, given that the government will recruit the others later, he stated, ‘No, we will not accept it. We completed our studies in the same year, sat for the same exams, and possess the same qualifications. Therefore, we will not accept the decision to employ only 6,100. Our demand remains that all 17,000 of us must be employed or recruited. Our question still stands: what will be the criteria? The country has the resources to recruit us, but they are unwilling to do so, as they seemingly do not care about us.’
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
