Strike issues being tackled seriously - Brempong-Yeboah

Accra, July 1, GNA - Dr. Charles Y. Brempong-Yeboah, Deputy Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, on Friday appealed to Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) and non-teaching staff of polytechnics to resume work because issues, which caused their strike actions are seriously being tackled.

The non-teaching staff are members of the Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (TEWU) of the Ghana Trades Union Congress. (TUC). He said one of the delays was that all relevant data, which should have been submitted by Polytechnic Authorities through the National Council of Tertiary Education (NCTE) reached the Ministry on Friday, July 29, 2006.

Dr. Brempong-Yeboah, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on efforts being made to resolve the issues, said the data was to enable the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to know how many people are involved and the amount to be paid by the state. He said, now that the data had been completed the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning would determine if it could absorbed the cost in this year's approved budget.

If so, Dr. Brempong-Yeboah said, salary payment would take effect from January this year.

Earlier on, Mr Dan. Ayim Antwi, General Secretary of the Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has expressed concern about the way and manner matters affecting unionists were being handled.

He said delays in getting grievances resolved will not only affect the striking workers but the nation at large, adding that it would also slow down the country's programme towards development of manpower.