The National Association of Graduate Teachers has issued an ultimatum to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to pay all salary arrears due its members. The association says many of its members are owed salary arrears accruing from when they were placed on the new single spine pay policy. The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission has yet to fix a date for the payment of the arrears despite an earlier discussion with the association over the matter. NAGRAT says it cannot wait any longer and demands that the arrears be paid by the end of July. Vice President of NAGRAT, Angel Karbonu, said government and the commission could be delaying the move deliberately. “The government and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission appear to make a deliberate effort to delay the payment of the salary arrears,” he stated, adding despite an earlier negotiation with the commission nothing seems to have come out. “The commission igored the plea and demonstrated its lack of commitment to addressing the concern by refusing to give a reply to the letter. Upon a reminder from the association the commission replied asking teachers to be patient since the arrears would be paid. No deadlines were set for the payment of the arrears. No set of activities were outlined to demonstrate urgency to pay the arrears,” Mr Karbonu insisted. “Our members are restless over the delays in the payment of the salary arrears. It is becoming more and more difficult to appeal to them to be patient. We therefore call on the government and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to make the necessary arrangement to pay the salary arrears to teachers by the end of July 2011.” “If however, they choose to ignore the pleas of teachers, we expect them to accept all outcomes without resorting to any form of blame game,” the NAGRAT vice president said. Story by Fiifi Koomson/Joy FM/Ghana