The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) is threatening to embark on industrial action within the month of January 2022.
The decision to lay down their tools was informed by the failure of Government to respect agreement reached with the disgruntled group.
It would be recalled that on Friday October 8, 2021, the Negotiation Team of UTAG and government representatives met and signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which sought to pay UTAG $1600 by 2024.
However, the resolution arrived at by the Negotiation Team on behalf of the union displeased the University of Ghana Chapter of the UTAG who rejected the $1600 and insisted on receiving the cedi equivalent of $2,084 as entry point salary value for lecturers.
“In place of the amount of USD 1600, which the NT negotiated and signed with government, UG-UTAG contends that it is entitled to and shall only accept the cedi equivalent of $2,084 which represents the entry point salary value of lecturers in 2013” a statement issued by UG-UTAG said.
The group therefore threatened to embark on industrial action in January 2022, should government fail to satisfy their needs.
According to Professor Ransford Gyampo, who is the UG-UTAG Secretary, “notices have been sent to all stakeholders about the intention to strike because agreement reached have not been respected; timelines agreed upon have not been adhered to.”
The intended date for the strike is January 10. However in his comments, he noted that the National Labour Commission (NLC) which is a key player in the negotiations could not avail themselves to attend to their requests.
“They [NLC] said they were on break. They would not resume until 10th of January. I don’t know of any government agency that has gone on that long break.
“We know that these are part of the very feeble strategies aimed at thwarting our efforts” he alleged.
He continued saying, “let it be known as NLC that we are coming again and they don’t have what it takes to outsmart university lecturers.”
While adding that they would not be confused or “dazed by their very childish attempts to frustrate” their efforts, Prof. Gyampo said they will wait for the National Leadership to put out an official communication which is expected within the first week of the month.
“Once that communication come, we’ll all appreciate the real reasons and the basis for which this industrial action has become necessary,” he concluded.
