UTAG and NLC set to meet in court today as teachers strike continues
NLC and UTAG face off in court today over the associations decision to flout a court order
The Accra Labour Court is scheduled to hear a contempt case that has been brought against the leadership of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), by the National Labour Commission (NLC).
An interlocutory injunction was secured against UTAG from the court to compel UTAG to end their strike which commenced on Monday, August 2, 2021.
But UTAG was still adamant and did not yield to that order, stating that the premise is false.
The NLC is still insisting that UTAG cannot still be on strike while negotiations with the government are ongoing. However, UTAG insists that there is no active negotiation between the concerned parties right now.
“Our legal team also filed [an application]. NLC urged the court to set aside the injunction. We think that the injunction was not properly served and so it is now a matter for the court to determine. The NLC says that we cannot be negotiating while on strike, but our position is that given what has transpired between us and government, there is no negotiation ongoing unless they want to now call us to begin negotiation,” Prof Charles Marof, UTAG president.
Professor Marfo added that UTAG is ready to engage the government if the government comes forward and invite them to the negotiation table.
“If the government wants to engage us, we are willing and ready to engage government,” he noted.
UTAG declared a nationwide strike action at the beginning of August to demand the restoration of the 2012 agreed conditions of service which the association says are better than what they have now.
Per the conditions of service agreed upon in 2012 under the Single Spine Salary structure, entry-level lecturers start with a salary of $2,084 while the current CoS puts them at around $900.
The ongoing standoff between UTAG and the government has halted academic work in the nation’s public universities and has affected academic work severely, leaving students stranded.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
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