The Labor Division of the Accra High Court has granted an interlocutory injunction application filed against the Universities Teachers Association of Ghana’s (UTAG) strike by the National Labor Commission (NLC).
The court, presided over by Justice Frank Aboadwe Rockson, today, February 15, 2022 halted the strike which is currently in its fifth week.
Per the orders of the court, UTAG must suspend its strike until the final determination of an application by the NLC, seeking to enforce its orders for UTAG to call off its strike and return to the negotiation table with the government is done.
Speaking to journalists after court proceedings, lawyer for the UTAG, Kwesi Keli-Deletaa, stated that the motion was seeking to enforce the directive of the labor commission which was filed before the injunction application was filed.
“In our view, the main motion which is seeking to enforce the directive of the NLC should have been heard first but the judge thought otherwise and decided that the injunction application should be heard first. The outcome of that application is what you all witnessed in court today. The judge decided to grant the interlocutory injunction application.”
Kwesi Keli- Deletaa
The Lawyer for the UTAG noted that they are studying the court order that granted the National Labor Commission (NLC) an application against the strike, in order to take necessary steps accordingly on the next line of action.
“We are going to study the order and advise our clients accordingly. I wish to remind you that the main motion which is seeking to enforce the directive of the commission is still before the court. Hearing of that application has been adjourned to the 22nd. So, on the 22nd we will be back for the main motion to be heard.
“Let me repeat that the main motion is seeking to enforce the directive of the commission and the directive of the commission is that UTAG should go back to the classroom because the strike they had is illegal. So arguments will be heard on that we look for forward to that.”
Kwesi Keli-Deletaa
President must personally intervene
Earlier, Professor Ransford Gyampo, the General Secretary of the University of Ghana chapter of the UTAG called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to personally intervene to resolve their salary issues.
According to Professor Gyampo, UTAG does not trust any of the government officials to handle the situation and therefore, a call on the President to intervene.
“By our own conduct and by our own conditions of service, we’ve not been able to speak forcefully about the fact that we don’t have many resources. Because if you look at how appointees behave and the resources that go to Article 71 officeholders and others, people look at all these things and make comparisons. It has gotten to that point where UTAG cannot trust any office appointees that are involved in this [negotiations].”
Professor Ransford Gyampo
Professor Gyampo indicated that Akufo-Addo in his final term of office, must chase after better legacies that will outlive him and the complete resolution of the teacher’s demands presents a great opportunity.
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