The University Teachers Association of Ghana, UTAG, has said it has indeed retreated on the decision to resume its suspended strike following an agreement with the government.
Speaking after the Education Ministry made the announcement, UTAG’s President, Prof. Solomon Nunoo, said the agreement was reached “after more than five hours of negotiations.”
“Some of our members are not too happy with our agreement reached with the government which doesn’t satisfy all the things and aspirations we were hoping for, but all the same, we have reached something and for that matter, the intended strike will not come on.”
UTAG had asked its members to resume their suspended strike because negotiations with the government were still inconclusive a month after it suspended the earlier strike.
UTAG wants a restoration of the conditions of service agreed upon with the government in 2012.
The union wants the 2012 conditions of service to peg the Basic plus Market Premium of a lecturer at $2,084.42.
It says the current arrangement has reduced its members’ basic premiums to $997.84.
Its members had been on strike since the beginning of August 2021 because they want the government to restore the conditions of service agreed upon in 2012 which they said was far better than the current situation.
The strike by UTAG severely affected academic and some non-academic work at the various tertiary campuses.
The High Court’s Labour Division, 1, advised the National Labour Commission (NLC), and UTAG, to settle the stalemate over their industrial action out of Court.
UTAG had earlier indicated that it will only call off its strike completely upon successful negotiation with the government and the NLC.
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