We have not called off our strike – UTAG president gives details of meeting with Education Committee
Claims that the University Teachers Association of Ghana has agreed to call off its industrial action after a meeting with the Education Committee of Parliament has been dismissed by the association’s leadership.
On Thursday 17th February 2022, a Ranking Member of the Education Committee, Peter Nortsu –Kotoe stated that UTAG has agreed in principle to call off its six-week long strike and after it consults its members will make an announcement to that effect.
“After listening to the cases, we realized that there will be the need for more dialogue. We finally appealed as a committee to UTAG to call off the strike which they agreed in principle. We expect they call off the strike today, Thursday, and then continue with the negotiations,” Peter Nortsu-Kotoe said.
But according to Professor Solomon Nunoo, President of UTAG has clarified that they only told the Committee that they need to discuss the outcomes of the meeting with their members, and a decision on whether or not their industrial action will be called off will subsequently be taken by the National Executive Committee.
He further explained that the meeting with the Education Committee in Parliament gave lawmakers the opportunity to appreciate their concerns and call for speedy negotiations.
“A decision on whether to call off the strike is not for us, as leaders to take. It will require the larger NEC to decide. We as national officers cannot do that. We need to go back and consult and that is the only way,” Prof Nunoo stated.
On what transpired at Thursday’s meeting, he said the National Labour Commission (NLC) made some pleadings including ending the strike which the committee urged them to consider.
“After both parties had presented their issues and they saw what was at stake, they realized that it was high time that the conditions of the university teachers are attended to, and we need to do that and it should be done as quickly as possible. After that, there was a round of pleading from all parties after which the Chairman of the Committee pleaded that if we could suspend the strike, that will pave way for negotiations to take place,” he said.
He revealed that the NLC has been tasked to ensure that within one week after UTAG decides to call off its strike, the NLC must ensure that negotiations are completed.
The President of UTAG also assured that they will take a final decision in the coming days after which the NLC is expected to act and ensure that negotiations are completed.
