NLC (National Labour Commission) Loses Court Case Against POTAG

An Accra High court has thrown out the case brought against striking polytechnic teachers.

The National Labour Commission brought the case seeking an order from the court to compel the teachers to go back to the classrooms and also submit themselves to compulsory voluntary arbitration.

But the court, presided over by Justice K. Asumani ruled there was no grounds to grant the reliefs sought by the NLC.

According to the court, compulsory voluntary arbitration was foreign to the Labour Act. It was therefore an error in law to seek such an order from the court citing provisions of the Act.

Joy News? Cyrus DeGraft-Johnson, who was in court, said the NLC has been instructed to appoint a mediator within seven days to address the concerns of the teachers.

The court said the NLC did not do enough to resolve the concerns of the teachers before running to court to seek to compel them to call off their strike.

The Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) told Cyrus after the ruling that they will be calling an emergency congress to determine their next line of action.

POTAG has been on strike for the past five weeks to back demands for better conditions of service.

The NLC demanded that the teachers call off the strike, describing it as illegal. But the teachers stood their ground.

The Commission consequently went to court seeking an order to compel POTAG to call off the strike.

Source: myjoyonline