Student group to petition President, Parliament over UTAG strike crisis
UTAG’s strike has entered its fourth week; a development to which many are predicting the closure of universities soon.
A coalition of student activists says it would petition the Presidency and Parliament regarding the on-going strike by the Universities Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG).
UTAG’s strike has entered its fourth week; a development to which many are predicting the closure of universities soon.
The group, which identifies itself as the Coalition of Concerned University Students (CoCUS) says it is also preparing for a “peaceful and intellectual protest against government’s inability to bring a harmonized resolution to the matter.”
“A petition will be submitted to the Presidency, Jubilee House, and Parliament for the urgent consideration of the government and subsequent execution,” it said in a statement.
UTAG has said it will not call off its strike despite the Labour Commission’s ruling that the industrial action was illegal.
The Teachers’ Association wants the government to restore the conditions of service that were agreed on in 2012, which pegged the Basic plus Market Premium of a lecturer at $2,084.42. Currently, members of the association are paid a premium of $997.84
The National Labour Commission(NLC) on the other hand has dragged the University Teachers Association(UTAG) to the High Court, seeking an interlocutory injunction to compel the latter to comply with its January 13, 2022 decision.
