A Progressive People’s Party (PPP) communicator, Charles Owusu has called on the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and other workers who have salary arrears issue with the government to strengthen the strike till they receive their outstanding arrears.
To him the President is wicked and inconsiderate since he has given 2.7 billion old cedis to each of the 230 Parliamentarians.
He added that the aggrieved workers must insist on their demands; reiterating that he used to be against the strike of the teachers but since the President has been able to raise such money for the 230 MPs in the heat of the difficulties the government claims to encounter, then to him he believes there is money to pay the rest of the grieved workers.
Speaking on Okay FM, the PPP communicator said that the MPs have enjoyed a lot of luxury while in office, saying that some are still enjoying under the 6th Parliament as each of the MPs has received Ghc 5,000 for rent and will at the end of every month take Ghc 7,200 as a salary.
He recounted that those who are fortunate to be in executive positions will receive double portion of the opulence as they take pleasure in the state vehicles and free fuel, adding that if all these people cannot be considerate to hold on so that some part of the money will be used to settle the arrears which has been piled up since last year, then the teachers must insist.
To him the total amount of money which is supposed to be given to the teachers is not in any way close to that of the ex-gratia which the 230 MPs have received.
He therefore disclosed that the life savings of these lecturers do not come close to even 6 months salaries of a Parliamentarian, urging all the teachers and other aggrieved workers to strengthen their strike till they receive what is due them.