Poly Teachers want salary arrears paid by October 7

Accra, Sept. 24, GNA - The Polytechnic Teachers' Association of Ghana (POTAG) on Friday gave the government a two-week ultimatum to pay all their salary arrears as another strike looms less than one week after a long boycott of lectures by Polytechnic students ended.

A statement in Accra signed by Mr Napoleon Abiwu, President of POTAG, said the effective date for implementation of the agreed 15 per cent salary increase for 2004 should be January 1, 2004.

The 15 per cent salary increase should be paid to POTAG members with all arrears by October 7, 2004, they said.

"POTAG cannot guarantee the continued stay of its members in the classroom should the situation remain the same," the statement said. The polytechnic teachers said they appear to be seen as a crop of people who always accept whatever arrangement is made for them, no matter how unpleasant that may be.

"We want to inform government that we shall never accept any effective date outside January 1, 2004 in view of the fact that we have not had any salary increase since October 2002."

Polytechnic students only last Tuesday resolved to resume lectures after a 14-week strike action following an agreement with the Public Services Commission (PSC) to promulgate the Senior Officer Status of the Higher National Diploma (HND) graduate.

The Ghana Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) said all students should to go back to their various institutions on September 24 to resume lectures on September 27.