The University of Ghana (UG) Branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), has hinted at plans to embark on a strike action.
The branch in a statement said the intended strike action would take effect January 3, 2022 if their concerns are not addressed.
The branch and it’s leadership says their intended strike action is in protest to the decision by the National Executive Committee to accept the government’s Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) proposing among others the payment of a $1,600 research allowance to members of UTAG.
It has asked the National Executive Committer to withdraw its communiqué suggesting that an agreement was reached by UTAG members to accept the research allowance.
They also in disagreement with a proposal for the government to complete a Labour Market Survey Report to determine the review of the Interim Market Premium by December 2021 for implementation in 2022.
“UG-UTAG is resolved to take a unilateral decision to stand on its resolution of rejection of the MoA and embark on an indefinite industrial action effective January 3, 2022. We call on all other branch members to support our decision to dissociate ourselves from the UTAG National leadership for entering into a deal that does not completely represent the interest of its membership, except perhaps for themselves only.”
“Consequently, the University of Ghana branch of UTAG (UG-UTAG), at its meeting held on Friday 17th December 2021, upheld its resolution of 8th October 2021, that overwhelmingly rejected the 6th October 2021 MoA that among others, proposed USD 1600 Research Allowance payable to UTAG members in 2024.
“The Friday 17th December meeting of UG-UTAG also rejected the purported NEC acceptance of the proposed Research Allowance, at its meeting on 11th November 2021,” portions of the statement said.
The statement added “UG-UTAG finds this outcome very strange and in violation of the UTAG Constitution. First, there is no written evidence in support of the decisions made by the 8 universities, unlike the clear and unequivocal manner in which the 7 universities that voted against the MoA expressed themselves through a resolution.
“Further, assuming that evidence to that effect is available (and we subject NEC to strict proof of this), relying on article XVIII sec 2 of the UTAG Constitution, NEC cannot use the decision of the 8 universities to conclude that, based on a majority vote, the MoA should be accepted,” it said.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
