Regional News of Tuesday, 8 July 2014

Source: GNA

NLC, POTAG case adjourned to July 14

An Accra Human Rights Court, on Monday, adjourned the case involving the National Labour Commission (NLC) and the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) to July 14.

The court was compelled to adjourn the case since the submission to be filed by the respondent had not yet been placed on the docket of the court.

Council for the applicants, Oscars Asante Nnuro, however prayed the court to expedite hearing of the case.

The court, adjourned the case to July 14, for the determination as to whether the strike was legal.

At the last adjourned date, Council for the Respondent, Mr Justine Pwavra Teriwajah, told the court that they had already filed a preliminary objection to the application.

He said the NLC had no legal right to summon them before the court, and that, they were in objection to the application.

The NLC was in court to enforce its directive for polytechnic teachers to call off their over-a-month old strike as well as enforce its ruling in the disparity between the Government and POTAG over the scrapping of the research and book allowances.

The NLC had ruled that POTAG should return to work while arbitration procedures were initiated to address the concern, but POTAG had refused.

The POTAG has since May laid down its tools after Government failed to pay its book and research allowance for the 2013/2014 academic year.

Meanwhile, members of the Polytechnic Students Association of Ghana, has asked Government to intervene in the disagreement between their lecturers and the National Labour Commission since the strike action was affecting academic work.