Members of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) have commenced voting across various campuses to determine whether to support the decision to embark on a strike, as stipulated in the association’s constitution.

At the University for Development Studies (UDS), voting has concluded, with 311 members participating. Of those, 86.5% voted in favor of the motion to initiate industrial action, while 13.5% opposed it.

UTAG President, Prof. Mamudu Akurugu, expressed confidence that all campuses will vote in favor of the strike. He further noted that the voting process will be completed by Tuesday, October 8.

“In the case of UTAG, our constitution mandates that individuals have to vote for the declaration of an industrial action and we have started that process already. We have faith in our members who asked us to join organised labour, and we are sure that the overwhelming majority of our members will vote for the industrial action to be declared.”

Voting continues on other UTAG campuses, while organized labour’s leadership remains resolute in its plan to initiate a nationwide strike on Thursday, October 10, if their demands are not addressed.

The group is urging the government to declare a state of emergency to protect water bodies and rivers, enforce a temporary ban on small-scale mining, and revoke L.I 2462, which authorizes mining in forest reserves.

President Akufo-Addo recently met with labour leaders, requesting additional time to address their demands. Reports suggest the government has agreed to withdraw L.I 2462, but organized labour is currently convening at the TUC conference room in Accra to determine their next steps.