UTAG Strike Temporarily Suspended

The University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UTAG) has been in major news headlines for the past two months because of a demand from the government, that seems to be too big for the government to bear.

This, therefore, resulted in an industrial strike over the past five weeks. The conditions of service for UTAG in 2012 made entry-level lecturers an income of $2,084, whilst the new system has now reduced its members’ basic premiums to $997.84.

On Monday, February 21, 2022, UTAG’s National Executive Committee (NEC) had an emergency meeting at UPSA because of a meeting between the leadership of UTAG, Parliament’s Education Committee, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Education Minister and the Labor Minister, that was held last week and ended inconclusively.

At the meeting, prominent persons such as the likes of H.E. John Agyekum Kufour; the former President of Ghana, Sam Jonah, some Vice-Chancellors among others were present and pleaded for the lecturers to return to the classroom. According to the statement released after the meeting, UTAG has agreed to listen to the eminent people, the Select Committee on Education and the Court’s order to suspend the strike.

The decision of UTAG to suspend the strike after the call of these prominent people has given students hope of the resumption of academic activities in school. The suspension of the strike is envisaged to last till March 4, a period given to make an agreement with the government on favourable conditions.

By: Francis Hilbrands Agyemang, TOT, KNUST(Obuasi)

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