The Polytechnic Teachers’ Association of Ghana (POTAG) at its 21st National Delegates Congress at Bolgatanga carefully discussed Government’s position on the Market Premium and Book and Research allowance as captured in the budget estimates for the 2014 fiscal year delivered to Parliament by the Honourable Finance Minister on November 19th 2013 and have observed the following with grave concern:
- That government’s attempt to replace the Book and Research allowance with a Research
Fund is premature, misplaced and calamitous.
- That there is a very serious misunderstanding of the concept of the Book and Research
allowances by government.
- That government is lumping two different items to mean one and same .i.e. Book allowance is different from Research allowance.
- That these allowances are part and parcel of POTAG’s negotiated Conditions of Service.
- That POTAG has been patient, reasonable and realistic in its demands for better
Conditions of Service.
- We have always strived to engage stakeholders on all issues and therefore have a difficulty in understanding why government is not doing same on this matter.
Against the backdrop of these observations, we wish to state as follows;
- That POTAG shall vehemently resist these attempts by government to make its members worse-off through their hasty, premature and desperate attempt cut down cost.
- That POTAG is prepared legally, physically, psychologically and even spiritually to resist Government or any of its agencies who attempt to make its members worse-off.
-That these allowances were negotiated for and agreed upon and therefore no single party can unilaterally take them off. Indeed POTAG would have unilaterally increased those allowances long ago if it were possible for any single party to vary these conditions.
- That from normal industrial relation practice the employer should not make his employee worst-of, a position which the labour Act 2003 (Act 651) re-enforces.
POTAG wishes to advise as follows:
- That the ramifications of this decision to replace the Book and Research allowance is in bad taste and should be reversed without delay.
- That there should be a stakeholder round table to discuss the prospects of improving the existing Book and Research allowances which has become woefully inadequate over the years.
- That the understanding, tolerance, maturity and endurance exhibited by POTAG in the face of all manner of provocation should not be taken for granted.
- We call on the GNUPS to stand up and engage government to rescind its decision on this matter to avert any potentially prolonged academic calendars.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the media, we wish to re-iterate POTAG’s preparedness to engage government and all relevant stakeholders to amicably resolve this issue. But we shall
however, go all out to legally, physically and even spiritually resist any lackadaisical or foot-dragging attitude from any stakeholder in this matter.
It is our hope that the honourable Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman whom we believe understands and appreciates our position on this matter shall explain to government to immediately rescind it decision. We are of the conviction that government will listen and act appropriately to avert another Nine month or longer standstill of tertiary Education and research activities in this country.
We are therefore giving Government the end of January 2014 to call a proper stakeholder conference on this matter.
Long live POTAG,
Long Live Polytechnic Education,
Signed
ATIGA Oswald
(General Secretary)
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