POTAG bares teeth at gov’t

The Polytechnic Teachers’ Association of Ghana (POTAG), has called on Government to pay the 2014/2015 Academic Year’s Book and Research (B&R) allowances as listed in the Association’s conditions of service.

A statement issued at a news conference after a National Conference of the Association held in Sunyani said the delay in the payment of the allowances is “mounting tension on the various polytechnic campuses”.

Mr Francis Dugrah, National President of the Association, said payment of the allowances would “prevent last academic year’s experiences”.

The Association also called on the Fair Wages and Salary Commission (FWSC) to re-open negotiations on the conditions of service to pave way for mutual deliberations on the fate of POTAG.

Mr Dugrah said POTAG is aware of the memorandum of understanding signed between POTAG and the Government before the payment of the 2013/2014 B&R. “However, it was never agreed upon that the allowances have been scrapped.”

It said “until a new condition of service is agreed upon between the parties, the old conditions of service are deemed to continue as per Section 107 (3) of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651)”.

Mr Dugrah said the FWSC engaged POTAG on two occasions concerning the negotiation on the conditions of service, emphasising that since the last meeting on January 28, all attempts to get FWSC to continue negotiations had failed.

“POTAG, therefore, is expressing our grave disappointment and frustration and a seeming deception concerning this issue,” he said.

In May last year, following similar government’s delay in payment of B&R allowances polytechnic teachers embarked on a three-month strike, thus disrupting academic studies and programmes of the schools.