STATEMENT: POTAG Suspends Strike

The Polytechnic Teachers� Association of Ghana (POTAG) wishes to inform its entire membership, the Polytechnic Students and all stakeholders that, it has suspended with immediate effect, its nationwide strike action which withdrew all academic related services as a result of Government�s non-readiness to pay our Book and Research Allowance for the 2013/2014 academic year. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, POTAG had to reconsider its stance following a compromise reached with Government over the payment of our Book and Research Allowance for the 2013/2014 academic year. We have also considered calls from state institutions, our students, religious bodies and stakeholders for the parties to, in the spirit of good faith and interest of the nation, soften their positions in the impasse and to seek an amicable solution. To this extend, POTAG wishes to express its appreciation to the Government through the Ministry of Education for showing good will, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations for the major role it had played in getting the parties to amicably resolve the dispute, the Parliament of Ghana for the intervention through the Select Committee on Education, the National Security Council, CORP, the Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference and the many Ghanaian Parents for the interventions, support and appeals. POTAG had taken all these in good faith and haven had dispassionate discussions with our Employer, some middle ground have been found and POTAG is thus ready to go back to teach whilst Government proceed with the payment of the Book and Research Allowances. We also wish to thank those who solidarized and supported us in this course especially the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), GAPA, Polytechnic Administrators Association of Ghana (PAAG), Ghana University Administrators Association (GAUAA), Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) as well as other research institutions who benefits from the B&R Allowance. POTAG wishes to extend her appreciation to our counsel Mr. Justin Pwavra Teriwajah for his legal support, court actions and advice as well as future engagements. Whilst regretting the protraction and the resultant effects on the stakeholders including ourselves, POTAG wants to use this opportunity to call on State Institutions such as the National Labour Commission (NLC) to be proactive and sit up to discharge their mandate with diligence and fairness. It is by doing this that employees and employers will have the necessary confidence in the Commission and to rely on it for mediation during labour disputes. The Commission in this particular instance did not help the matter when it sought to resolve the impasse through litigation (the courts) and by so doing prolonged the strike inadvertently. Whereas POTAG strives to restore academic normalcy to the polytechnic environment, we wish to call on Government in particular and stakeholders in general to be proactive in dealing with issues of national interest and not to allow them to degenerate and fester before they are being tackled. We are equally urging Government and her representatives as well as leaders in various establishments to demonstrate humility, openheartedness, frankness and faith in dealing with employees as this is a necessary ingredient in every employment relationship. This was lacking in the particular instance of our engagement with our employer, hence our frustration, the subsequent strike action and all its concomitant issues. We are extremely grateful to the media fraternity for the unflinching enthusiasm that you showed during this period. Throughout every nook and cranny of this country, you were available to report and circulate every single step along the way. Even when POTAG had no news, you (potent media) tried to squeeze news out of us. Continue to cover the grounds as you have done but be circumspect and report the stories as they occur and do not twist or �cook� stories simply because you want to tell a story. Long Live POTAG Long Live Polytechnic Education Long Live Ghana Thank you, Signed IBRAHIM, Adamu (General Secretary)