B-Poly students begin leaving campus …as POTAG strike eats deep into them

Most students occupying the hostel of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic have left the campus, while their non-boarding colleagues no longer go to there following an indefinite strike declared by the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG).

When this reporter visited the school, which is located at Sumbrungu last Thursday morning, only a few students were seen at the only hostel building accommodating both female and male. While some of the students were seen eating, chatting and washing their clothing, others were playing music to while away time.

Those who spoke to The Chronicle, especially those from the South and other parts of the North, said they were getting frustrated because since the strike was indefinite, they did not want to go home only to be called back a day or two later.

Others were too worried because they said their handouts were not ready when the strike began, meanwhile, they are supposed to write their mid-semester exams next month.

The strike will definitely affect the academic calendar of all the polytechnics, and the Bolgatanga Polytechnic is no exception.

The Local Chapter Chairman of POTAG at the Bolgatanga Polytechnic, Mr. Emmanuel Ayine Ayimpusah, said the association was totally disappointed in the government and its institutions such as the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Labour Commission, and Controller and Accountant-General's Department, because it had taken two years since they started the issue of salaries.

He regretted that the academic calendar was being affected due to the strike. 'We love our students, we love our country, and we want to give our best. But, where those people who have the power, and are required to do the right thing for us to all contribute our quota, think they are going to hold on what they are supposed to give to others, then we have no choice. After all, the work is ours, it's our responsibility to teach and we love to teach, and that is why we are here to teach.'

Flanked by his Credit Union Secretary, Mr. Matthew K. Valogo, Organizing Secretary, Mr. Abdul-Majeed Issahaku, and Secretary, Maurice M. Braimah, the Chapter Chairman he stressed that the association did not expect the matter to have resulted in a strike action, because POTAG had won a court case that gave them the right to benefit from the request. But unfortunately, the authorities have failed to implement that.

He also condemned the deductions and negative salaries in the teachers' February salaries, describing it as absurdity and complete mess.

He warned that if the Labour Commission, the government and the FWSC do not immediately resolve all the issues quickly for the teachers to go back to the classroom, it would lead to the complete disruption of the entire academic calendar.

The Rector of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic, Dr. Mba Atinga, was equally worried, because when the teachers come back from the strike, they may have to revise their notes with the students before they continue from where they stopped.

This, he noted, has a negative impact on the academic calendar.

The school was supposed to vacate on June 2, 2012, but the strike may affect this date if it lasts for long.