Koforidua, Sept 2, GNA - The Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) has begun a sit down strike effective September 01 until further notice.

The action followed the refusal of the government through the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and other stakeholders to call the association to the negotiating table to negotiate its conditions of service that expired in 2008.

A statement issued in Koforidua and jointly signed by Mr Anthony Ayakwah, Secretary and Mr G.K. Abledu, President of POTAG, expressed regret that since January numerous efforts made for government to call POTAG to the negotiating table with FWSC had proved futile.

The statement recalled that on March 08, an emergency meeting was held at the Kumasi Polytechnic where a communiqu=E9 was issued asking government to call the association for negotiation.

"On March 17, we wrote to FWSC to negotiate with us. They invited us and on April 01 at the meeting, we were told that they did not have any mandate to negotiate and only appealed to us to be patient with them".

The statement said on June 06, a press conference was held at Koforidua Polytechnic to draw government's attention to negotiate with them.

It said on the following day, POTAG wrote to the NCTE asking them to negotiate with the association on their conditions of service but no response was received.

"On June 30, we wrote to the NCTE again giving them up to August 13 to respond to our request. The NCTE wrote to FWSC directing them to negotiate with us".

"In that letter, we were informed that the FWSC had the mandate to negotiate with us."

It said on July 30, POTAG wrote to the Minister of Education expressing their desire to suspend the migration of the Polytechnic staff to the Integrated Personnel Payroll Database 2 (I P.P.D. 2) of the Controller and Accountant-General's Department.

The statement said on that day POTAG wrote to the FWSC to have a discussion on the placement of lectures on the Single Spine Salary Structure.

It said on August 25, POTAG wrote another letter to the NCTE indicating the FWSC's failure to call members for negotiation despite letters from the Minister of Education and NCTE requesting negotiations to commence.

"On that day we made a press release giving government an ultimatum to call us for negotiation by September 01 but this was also not reacted to".

The statement said based on those issues, POTAG at an emergency meeting held at Koforidua Polytechnic resolved to embark on the strike action until further notice.