UTAG to go on strike effective October 8
A Memorandum of Agreement was signed to this effect by the Government and UTAG.
The National Executive Committee of the University Teachers Association(UTAG) has served notice to its members and the General public of its decision to embark on another nationwide strike action effective October 8, 2021.
The Decision, according to the Association, was taken at the end of its 20th Congress, which was necessitated by its September 26, 2021 discussion with the Government relative to the wages and welfare package of its members.
It was indicated that at the said meeting, the Government did not concur with UTAG’s decision for its members to be paid above $1200 in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Association had at an earlier meeting rejected being paid the cedi equivalent of $1200.
Furthermore, the Association proposed a minimum of $250 as a research allowance to be paid to its members, in addition to a review of the above-mentioned amount. They also called for the implementation of the new market premium latest December 21, 2021.
However, there was a lack of agreement on the above proposals on the part of the Association and the Government. Thus UTAG’s decision to resume its suspended strike action.
A formal statement is expected to be released today, October 4, 2021, by the National Executive Committee of UTAG to this effect. The statement is expected to provide clear-cut modalities of the strike action.
UTAG has vowed not to bargain or compromise on the $250 monthly research allowance. Also, it has indicated that its members will only resume work after its 2nd and 3rd conditions are agreed to by the Government.
In August this year, The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG)suspended its strike and agreed to return to the negotiation table.
This followed an emergency meeting, its leaders had with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and the National Labour Commission (NLC) on Wednesday, August 18, 2021.
Both parties [Government and UTAG] resolved to discontinue the legal processes concerning the protracted strike and have given themselves a one-month timeline to settle all outstanding issues.
“We have suspended [the strike]. One will realize that our strike has brought a lot to a standstill, so I believe that when management in the various universities gives the order, things will get to normal”, National President of UTAG, Prof. Charles Marfo confirmed on Eyewitness News on Citi FM.
A Memorandum of Agreement was signed to this effect by the Government and UTAG.
