Engagement between the National Labour Commission and the University Teachers Association of Ghana has failed to resolve the ongoing strike action declared by the lecturers.
On January 10, 2022, the university lecturers announced their strike actions citing the government’s failure to adhere to their demands for improved working conditions.
On Thursday, the National Labour Commission met with the leadership of UTAG to discuss resolutions to their ongoing strike.
However, according to the Secretary of the University of Ghana chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UG UTAG), Prof. Ransford Gyampo, the meeting between UTAG and NLC failed to yield any results because they did not reach a consensus.Â
According to Prof Gyampo, while the NLC maintains that the UTAG strike is illegal, the association is insistent otherwise.
“Simple report of our meeting with the most incompetent National Labor Commission: They say our strike is illegal. We say it is legal,†Prof Gyampo wrote in a Facebook post.
On demands made by the NLC asking the association to call off their strike, Prof Gyampo affirmed the resolve of UTAG to continue with the strike even if it means battling the matter in court.
“We say we won’t. What next? Court or sacking us? They should bring it on!†he added.
In a media interview, the National President of UTAG, Professor Solomon Nunoo, maintained the dissent of the association on the NLC’s call for UTAG to sit with the government.
“So this afternoon, we met the NLC to discuss our ongoing strike action, that is UTAG. So in the view of the panel that met us, it’s their considered opinion that the strike action is illegal, but we thought otherwise, so as of now, we are going to meet our constituents.
“The concerns we raised, they believe that the concerns are legal, we have a case, but they believe that we should sit with our employer and talk a little more,†he said.
However, Deputy Finance Minister John Kumah, who was also present in the meeting with the leadership of UTAG, has assured citizens of the government’s commitment to ensuring a resolution to the ongoing strike.
“We came to the Labour Commission to help us resolve an impasse between the government and University Teacher’s Association. The Commission has advised us on the way forward, and we will revert to go and work and come back,†he said.
The strike by UTAG was declared at the commencement of a new academic semester. This has led to several concerns being raised over the potential effects the strike will have on academic activities.
Source:Â www.ghanaweb.com
