DON'T SHIRK RESPONSIBILITY — AKYIRE (PAGE 40)

PUBLIC relations officers (PROs) of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) have been called upon not to shirk their responsibility of informing members of the association about their rights and duties under the prevailing labour legislation and practices.
They have also been advised to disseminate policies and programmes on all other labour issues to the people and make constructive comments on the general economic and social developments in the country.
The Head of the Public Relations (PR) Section of GNAT, Mr Nicholas Kodzo Akyire, made the call at the opening of a five-day seminar for about 40 PROs of the association in Sunyani.
The theme for the seminar is: “Using PR to Reach out for Effective Organisation”, and it is to assist the participants to acquire useful knowledge of the basics of PR practice, enable them to relate management and PR to each other, as well as realise that managers cannot perform effectively without public support.
It will also make the participants to have a clearer perception of the continuous functions and activities which they are expected to perform as representatives of GNAT.
Among the topics being treated are “What PR Is All About”, “Corporate Image of GNAT”, “Media Relations”, “Crises Management”, “Business Communication”, “Event Management”, “Social Skills” and “Public Speaking”.
Mr Akyire emphasised that a well-trained PR official, especially in a labour union such as GNAT, should fully understand and associate himself/herself with the aims and aspirations of the union, its structure and functions, policies, as well as actions.
According to him, the bottom line of PR is the result that comes from putting theories and principles to work in a manner that benefits the organisation, adding that each individual ought to be able to respond to requests for information and should also be able to provide it in a way that promotes the pursuit of the organisational goals.
He stated that the programme to orient PROs to the basic rudiments of their practice started in May 1993, adding that almost all the current full-time staff of GNAT had benefited.
In another development, members of the Brong Ahafo Regional branch of GNAT undertook a clean-up exercise at Odumase, the capital of the newly created Sunyani West District, during which they swept and cleared choked gutters.
The two-hour exercise formed part of the regional celebration of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Teachers’ Fund by GNAT.
Briefing newsmen before the commencement of the exercise, the Brong Ahafo Regional Secretary of GNAT, Mr Kwaku Asante-Nketia, stated that the fund had helped members of the association to access loans for their housing projects, purchase of cars, investment in business ventures and other emergency needs.
He, therefore, appealed to members of the association to increase their individual contributions to the fund in view of the immense benefits they stood to gain from it.