Govt Has Started Payment Process - UTAG President On Unpaid Book And Research Allowance
President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Professor Charles Marfo says the Association has rescinded its indication to embark on an industrial strike action as mentioned last Friday, September 11, 2020.
The decision for the back down according to the UTAG President is based on the fact that the government has quickly responded to their demand with regards to the book and research allowance which is long overdue.
Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Prof Charles Marfo said that the government after their indication to embark on an industrial action has started the process of paying their allowances.
He added that the members of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) will begin to receive their allowances as everything has been done by the government; thus, 6 polytechnics and 3 universities have been worked on in the payment system.
“We have reached understanding with the government on the Book and Research Allowance and so we have called off the intention to embark on a strike. We are teachers and the book and research allowances are part of our condition of service and so when it is ignored for this long, it becomes worrying. This is the reason why we made such a move; in fact, we did not threaten to go on strike but rather we gave an indication to embark on industrial action," he stated.
He wondered why it takes the government such a long time to pay the book and research allowance when the money has been budgeted for by the government in the budget statement of the Ministry of Finance.
He stressed that the government knows the amount to be paid and the number of lecturers to receive the allowance; indicating that it does not require any special work to be done before paying the book and research allowance.
“The book and research allowance are budgeted for as it is always captured in the budget of the Ministry of Finance and so I believe that the government knows the amount to be paid as book and research allowance for the lecturers at the various state tertiary institutions”.
“The truth is that every government knows the number of lecturers in every tertiary institution in the country and they know how much to be given and so I don’t see any special work that needs to be done before they pay,” he wondered.
<<Print>>