By Awa Macalo
The Gambia Teachers’ Union has asked its members to begin a sit-down strike as the government failed to respond to its request for a 30% salary increment, and other substantial issues.
In a statement about their plan to sit at home, the Union lamented the inconsistency in the payment of allowances to Education Sector Personnel since the introduction of
the new pay scale reflecting the 30% salary increment.
The Union also said it has sent a list of demands to Government on 20th December 2022 and hoped that its demands would be thoroughly examined and reviewed to reflect the requirement of the General Orders in respect of such emoluments.
The Union said government neither responded nor acknowledged receipt of its demands since then.
“In this respect, Government is found to have deliberately failed to effect the 30% salary increment on the zonal allowances which contravenes the spirit and letter of Chapter 5, section III of the General Orders, which states that ‘Officers posted from one region to another are entitled to the appropriate monthly provincial allowances’ of prescribed percentages of their Basic Salary. Government is found not acting accordingly which is in contravention to the letter and spirit of the General Order’.
“Given the aforementioned, the union hereby request teachers across the country to stay home or in their residences and not report to work until we hear from government accordingly,” the statement concluded.
