The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and National Labour Commission are expected in court today, Tuesday, February 15, 2022 over the industrial strike action by UTAG.
The Solicitor for UTAG, Keli-Delataa stated that the matter was adjourned for the legal argument to be heard but the judge decided to give the unions a little time to engage with stakeholders and then return to court.
Keli-Delataa indicated that UTAG would be ever ready to engage NLC when the right processes are followed.
“By law, the NLC has jurisdiction over labour matters and if the proper things are done, if proper procedures are followed we have no difficulty at all appearing before the NLC.”
Keli-Delataa
According to him, the reason teachers are in court is because the NLC says that the declaration of the strike by UTAG is illegal.
“We say that it is not illegal and if we have the opportunity, we will prove to the court and the Ghanaian public why the NLC is wrong.”
Keli-Delataa
UTAG still on strike
Prior to this, the striking members of the University Teacher’s Association of Ghana as of yesterday, February 14, 2022, stated that they will not return to the lecture halls until the government meets their demands of better conditions of service.
“There was the issue that because of the worsening economic conditions, the government should give us an interim market premium of 114% of our current basic so that when the substantive issue is done, then our members will be put back so that they are not worse off. And we have had a couple of meetings, but we have still not been able to reach any form of agreement. More specifically we don’t have any offer from the government to our members.”
UTAG
According to UTAG, in its communiqué issued on the 10th January, 2022, it stated clearly that the employer or government should expedite action with regard to its demands so that the academic calendar is not affected, but unfortunately that has not happened.
“And so long as our demands are not satisfied, we will continue with the strike.”
UTAG
This follows the strike action embarked on by UTAG to demand proper conditions of service. Following the prolonged action, some stakeholders have urged the government to close down all Public Universities across the country.
It has been weeks since members of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) embarked on this industrial strike and according to the stakeholders, UTAG is yet to achieve any significant progress in negotiating a settlement to the impasse with its employers, leaving majority of students on campuses with not much to do.
Notable among the stakeholders is EduWatch which averred the students have had no academic direction since they arrived in the Universities to meet a University community without academic activity or supervision by their lectures and counselors due to the strike.
“Their continuous stay on campus without academic activity has economic and social consequences on them and their families back home, as they continue to incur expenditure they otherwise wouldn’t have incurred if they were home.”
EduWatch
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