The University of Ghana chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has voted against the National Executive Committee’s decision for them to call off their strike action.
Members of the chapter voted, and out of the over 700 members that voted out of the original over 2,000 members, more than 80% voted against the decision for them to resume lecturing.
The university is the second public university to vote against NEC’s decision.
The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) was the first to vote against the decision for them to resume teaching.
UTAG temporarily suspended its seven-week-old strike.
Addressing a press briefing Tuesday, the President of UTAG, Professor Solomon Nunoo said the National Executive Committee (NEC) of UTAG at an Emergency Meeting on February 21, 2022, resolved to heed the pleas and suspended the strike till March 4, 2022.
This is to allow them go back to the negotiation table with the government over the poor conditions of services of university lecturers.
“At the end of the meeting, the NEC of UTAG resolved to heed to the pleas of the eminent leaders, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, and other stakeholders to temporarily suspend the strike action up to Fourth March 2022, to engage with the Employer,” Prof Nunoo said.
Urging UTAG members to “rally behind leadership and remain calm and resolute”, Prof Nunooo said he was hopeful that with the involvement of the Parliamentary Select Committee and other eminent persons including former President John Agyekum Kufuor, Sir Sam Jonah and the National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah, the government will carry through its promises this time around.
“At many forums, the employer has agreed with stakeholders that there is the need to improve the Conditions of Service of University Teachers. Thus, we are cautiously optimistic that the Government will do the needful to improve the working conditions of the University Teacher,” he said.
“We know that Government has not fulfilled its part of the bargain in many signed agreements in the recent past. However, with the involvement of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education and other eminent persons, we expect that Government will carry through its promises this time round.
“We, therefore, call on the Government to take advantage of this window to help improve the salary and general working conditions of the University Teacher. Lastly, we call on Government to see to the implementation of the several agreements that have been signed-in recent times”.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
