Aggrieved ‘ghost Workers’ Beat Time To Claim April Salaries

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) is optimistic of meeting the deadline for the SSNIT biometric registration for some of its affected members expected to end today 3rd May, 2017.

The teachers form part of the over 26,000 workers who were likely to miss their April salaries over failure to complete their SSNIT biometric registration as at the end of April.

The workers subsequently appealed and negotiated for an extension of time.

Speaking to Citi Business News on the matter, the President of NAGRAT, Christian Addai Poku said all members of NAGRAT have been duly informed about the deadline of the registration.

He was also confident that all affected members will complete their registration by the close of day on Wednesday.

“We have sent messages to all the teachers involved and we have updated them on the decisions that have been taken by the Ministry of Finance,” Mr. Poku said.

He added “so it is expected that everybody will adhere to the directives and comply so that nobody will be left out of the supplementary pay roll on the 15th of this month so we are optimistic that everybody might have conformed by now.”

Meanwhile the Public Affairs Director of SSNIT, Eva Amegashie confirmed that workers are complying with the extension and have been turning up in their numbers to complete their registration.

“They are coming to our offices in their numbers as this announcement started two years ago.”

Background

The workers’ plight follows a directive from the Finance Ministry for the Controller and Accountant General to halt the payment of salaries as the workers failed to enroll in the biometric registration by SNNIT.

All public servants on the Government of Ghana mechanized payroll system who had not registered on the new SSNIT biometric system were expected to do so by the end of February 2017.

The deadline was however later extended to March 31st 2017 by the Minister of Finance.

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) later threatened a protest if their concerns were not met, further negotiations with government had the time extended to 3rd May, 2017.

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