POTAG leadership reacts to demands by Kumasi Chapter

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Sumbrungu THE National Executive of Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana,(POTAG), has assured it members that despite the challenges confronting it with regards to the full implementation of Single Spine Salary Pay, the association is working assiduously and round the clock to ensure that whatever is due its members is given to them. Leadership of POTAG has therefore cautioned all is local chapters to channel their grievances through the National Executive of the association rather than POTAG for redress rather than going on air and holding press conferences without consulting the national executives. Reacting to a press conference emanating from the Kumasi chapter of the association and captured in the Daily Graphic of August 24, 2012 cataloguing a number of outstanding issues regarding the implementation of POTAG’s single spine salary, the General Secretary of POTAG, Mr. Oswald Atiga said in as much some of the grievances raised were genuine, it wouldn’t have been improper if the Local Chairman and his executive had at least cross checked from leadership some of the issues raised before going on air. “We completely and utterly reject the manner in which this was done. We take this stand because it was unanimously agreed at our last congress in Bolgatanga that all grievances from the Local Chapters be channeled through the National Executive of POTAG”, the general secretary said. Responding to some of the issues raised by the Kumasi chapter of the association, Mr. Atiga said as far as the National Executive of POTAG is the Standing Joint Negotiating Committee (SJNC) has been formed but will only commence negotiations on category two and three allowances early next year for all public sector workers including POTAG. He recalled that when POTAG met officials from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department in Chrystal palm hotel shortly before the payment of the SSS, POTAG was advised to report any type of anomalies or distortions that might occur with the implementation of the SSS to them through the Polytechnic Finance and Payroll officers and as far as leadership is concern, some Polytechnics have started doing just that. On book and research allowance, Mr. Atiga said shortly after the burial of the Former President, the National Leadership of POTAG wrote a letter to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) regarding this subject matter. Following which the FWSC also attached a covering letter and sent it to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. “As we speak, the National President is in Accra following up on the status of this allowance”, he said adding “ It is very embarrassing having to hear issues first hand on air when some of them could have been discussed internally before. It also gives the false impression among our members as if the National Executive is not working”. On the charge of undue politicization of POTAG Single Spine Salary, Mr. Atiga said the national leadership of POTAG has since the payment of the Single Spine Salaries to its members not made any statement whatsoever regarding the new salaries. Mr. Atiga therefore demanded to know from the Kumasi Chapter which group or groups are making such political statements. The General Secretary of POTAG gave the assurance that despite the challenges, facing its members, leadership are working assiduously and round the clock to ensure that whatever is due our members is given to them. -End- August 24, 2012