By Mama A. Touray
Following a nationwide sit-down strike sanctioned by the Gambia teachers’ union over unsettled demands from the Gambia government, the Gambia teacher’s union called off the sit-down strike as Government agreed to their demands.
This announcement was made at a press conference held on Monday at the head office of the Gambia teachers union in Kanifing.
Speaking to the press shortly after a meeting held with the government of the Gambia, where they agreed to the demands, the President of the Gambia Teachers’ union, Ismaila S. Ceesay said “I want to use this opportunity to declare that the sit-down strike is over today, 9th January 2023, with immediate effect and I, want to urge my members and all teachers in the Gambia to go back to work as soon as possible.”
He added that the strike is over and what is left now is to work on some of these demands, emphasizing the urgent demands they will work on as soon as possible. He added that all the demands that are being agreed upon will be worked out, so the strike is over teachers will go back to work as soon as possible.
President Ceesay further Thanked the national executive committee of the Gambia teachers union for being there for them as they have been giving them moral support and permission to go ahead to engage the government.
“If the national executive committee did not agree to these demands we would not have been here, we will just tell you that the strike continues,” he told the press.
It could be recalled that last week the GTU issued a press release urging its members to go on a sit-down strike till the government agrees to their nine demands which include; a 30 percent salary increment on zonal allowances, which stated that “officers posted from one region to another are entitled to the appropriate monthly provincial allowances.”
Other demands include; Zonal allowances, Hard to reach allowances, Double shift allowances, committee sitting allowances, invigilation fees for WASSCE and GABECE, Charge allowance, and categorization of a school’s relocation allowance.