General News of Monday, 22 May 2006

Source: GNA

POTAG reaches agreement with Government

Accra, May 22, GNA - The Ministry of Education, Science and Sports (MOESS) and the Representative of the Standing Joint Negotiation Committee of the Polytechnic Teacher's Association of Ghana (POTAG) on Monday agreed to continue their negotiation on Wednesday May 24, 2006 to address the issue of salaries of POTAG members.

A communiqu=E9 signed by Papa Owusu-Ankomah, the Sector Minister and Mr Benjamin Kojo Otoo, President of POTAG, said the parties would endeavour to agree on interim conditions of service pending the completion of the national exercise by the Government on the rationalization of Public Sector Conditions of Service. The meeting held under the auspices of the Minister and the Leadership of POTAG was to deliberate on the indefinite strike action embarked upon by POTAG last week.

Present at the meeting according to the communiqu=E9 were Mr O.B Amoah, Deputy Minister of MOESS, Dr Charles Brempong-Yeboah, Deputy Minister Manpower, Youth and Employment.

The rest were Prof. Gyan Baffour Deputy Minister, Finance and Economic Planning; Prof R. K Asabere, Chairman, Conference of Polytechnics Principals and Mr Jones Ackor, Technical Director, Ministry of Public Sector Reforms.

In the light of considerable progress made during the meeting, it was hoped that the two parties would exhibit utmost good faith that would lead to a speedy resolution of the impasse, the communiqu=E9 said.