The University Teachers Association of Ghana National (UTAG) has issued 21-day strike notice to the Government Of Ghana to take immediate steps to address major concerns relating to its Condition of service.

In a statement issued on Friday, October 27 2023 and signed by its National Chairman Professor Mamudu A. Akudugu and National Secretary, Dr Elliasu Mumuni, the University Teachers Association of Ghana indicated that if the government fails to respond to its caution, it shall embark on industrial action in protest of the government.

To begin with, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) expressed its disappointment in the slow pace of negotiations on Conditions of Service (CoS) for its Members.

According to the statement, the government and other institutions mandated by the state to discharge such responsibility have been very slow in completing the negotiations on its conditions of service.

The statement indicated that the ‘snail-pace nature’ of the negotiation has created undue pressure and tensions among its members across the various university campuses in the country.

“UTAG has made significant efforts to push for the conclusion of the negotiations on our CoS for implementation from January 2024, but these efforts have not yielded any results. Most importantly, the Employer/ Government does not take the negotiations on our CoS seriously, and the Ministry of Finance, in particular, continuously sends representatives with no effective mandate and authority to commit the negotiations”.
UTAG Release, 27 the October, 2023

Deliberate Misinterpresentation And Disrespect To Signed MoA

Again, the University Teachers Association of Ghana accused the government of deliberatively misrepresenting and disrespecting the Memorandum of Agreement that it has signed with the association.

The statement mentioned that one case in point is the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) that was signed on Vehicle Maintenance Allowance (VMA) and Off-Campus Allowances (OCA) following an industrial action by UTAG, GAUA, SSA-UoG and TEWU-GH.

According to the statement, although the Ministry of Finance issued a memo dated August 2022 authorizing the payment of the agreed per litre rate of GHS10.99 with the effective date being 1^st July 2022, it has been subjected to deliberate misinterpretation and non-payment by government.

Furthermore, UTAG statement stressed that although arrears have been paid on the GHS10.99 per litre, ‘ironically’ the government has reverted to paying GHS6.05 per litre.

“Indeed, the GHS10.99 rate should have been reviewed by now because the current expump rate is over GHS13. This is a smacks of bad faith and trust on the part of the Employer.”
UTAG Release, 27 the October, 2023

Moreover, the University Teachers Association of Ghana accused the government of non-payment of the internally generated funds component of the agreed online teaching support allowances.

The statement noted that even though UTAG signed an agreement with the government on 3^rd March 2022 that the respective universities in the country shall pay a component of the online teaching support allowances from their internally generated funds to UTAG members, unfortunately many universities are in arrears while some have not paid at all.

According to the Universities Teachers Association of Ghana, the actions by the respective universities serve as variations in their conditions of service and to their disadvantage, which it rejects.

Additionally, UTAG’s statement indicated that the online teaching support allowances were introduced as a stopgap for the erosion of its market premium over the years while the government took measures to work towards implementing the 2021 Labour Market Survey to improve its Market Premium, however, there has been no show from government side in such important matter whiles its Market premium is continuously eroded.

According to the release, a 21-day strike notice to the government is subjected to Sections 159 and 160 of the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) and if the government fails to act, it shall embark on strike action immediately after it is given 21 days.

“In compliance with the requirement of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act651) Section 159 which requires either party intending to take strike action or institute a lockout to give written notice to the other party and the Commission within seven days, we are by this letter, magnanimously giving notice to the Employer 21 days as grace period to address the above-listed concerns of UTAG, or we will proceed immediately on strike on the 22^nd day from the date of this letter”.
UTAG Release, 27 the October, 2023