The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has reiterated its position to embark on a nationwide strike in response to what it perceives as the government’s failure to engage in meaningful negotiations regarding their conditions of service.
The General Secretary of UTAG, Dr. Eliasu Mumuni, says discussions on base pay, based on market premiums, are the single most important issue that will make them rescind their decision.
In a press briefing held in Accra, Dr. Mumuni disclosed that UTAG members would convene to announce the strike date once they secure collective approval from their membership.
“We need that collective permission for membership to say we are behind you, so go ahead. And within this period, we are working on that and prompting the NLC that this is how far we think we can come with the government when it has to do with our conditions of service,” stated Dr. Mumuni.
He added, “So within the period, if they are not able to reach us and we have gone through the formality of engaging all the membership of all the 15 campuses, as well as prompting the Labour Commission, then we are good to go.”
Prior to this development, UTAG and the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) walked out of a meeting with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) on Wednesday. The associations cited the commission’s bad faith, contempt, and lackadaisical attitude towards the discussion of the very important aspects of their conditions of service as reasons.
Expressing their dissatisfaction, both associations declared that they would no longer tolerate what they perceive as gross disrespect and a lack of commitment on the part of the government to improve their conditions of service. They warned that UTAG and TUTAG would no longer participate in meetings that do not yield tangible benefits and signaled that the voices of university lecturers would soon be heard in a language better understood by their employers or the government.
