Entrance of T-Poly with red POTAG banner hanged
Members of the Takoradi Polytechnic (T-Poly) chapter of Concerned Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (COPTAG) have expressed shock at the alleged failure by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) to effect payment for members of the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) under the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
According to the regional COPTAG members, even though the Fair Wages and Salary Commission (FWSC) and the CAGD had been provided with essential data to migrate POTAG members onto the SSSS, the CAGD had apparently refused to effect payment.
The COPTAG members noted that efforts had been made by all the stakeholders involved to migrate members of POTAG onto the SSSS.
They however could not understand why after six weeks of completion of grading and determination of market premium, coupled with the mapping process, the CAGD had allegedly failed to effect payment to POTAG members, which culminated in a strike action by Polytechnic teachers.
The COPTAG members have therefore declared their unflinching support to members of POTAG in their fight to ensure the successful migration onto the SSSS.
These were contained in a press release issued by the T-Poly chapter of COPTAG and signed by Aseidu Kokuro, the convener.
According to the release, POTAG members had for the past three years enjoyed only 10 per cent pay rise while other public sector workers migrated onto the SSSS had benefited from a 20 per cent increase in base pay in 2011 and subsequent 18 per cent increment in 2012, plus arrears.
“The irony is that POTAG members buy from the same markets as the rest of the public sector workers in Ghana,” it added.
The release noted that “the living conditions of Ghanaians have not seen any improvement and the people cannot live under the harsh umbrella of unfulfilled promises as Ghanaians continue to drown in extreme economic hardship”.
COPTAG urged the national executives of POTAG to soldier on and stick religiously to the communiqué signed at their congress which stated that members would not call off the strike action until POTAG had been migrated onto the SSSS.
“COPTAG urges POTAG not to relent but ensure that CAGD has effected payment into individual members’ accounts before the strike action is called off,” it noted.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi
