The Labour Division “one” of the Accra High Court, yesterday ordered the National Labour Commission (NLC) and the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), to settle the ongoing impasse out of court.
Justice Frank Rockson Aboadwe, presiding, gave the parties up to Thursday, February 10, 2022, to address concerns and report back to the court.
UTAG had been on strike for almost one month now over non-payment of allowances and better conditions of service. The NLC had asked the lecturers to call the strike off, last week, but the call fell on deaf ears.
When the case was called yesterday, the judge invited counsel for the plaintiff and the defendant to approach the bench.
Meanwhile, NCL has invited UTAG to a meeting on Thursday, February 10, following the High Court order.
“The National Labour Commission wishes to invite all parties to appear before it on Monday, February 7, 2022, at 11:00AM. The invitation is pursuant to the directive by the High Court at the hearing of the matter by the court today, February 3, 2022. All parties must endeavour to attend,” the NLC said, in a letter.
In its ex-parte motion, the NLC wanted the court to order the lecturers to stop the strike and go back to the lecture theatre.
However, in the instant application, the plaintiff urged the court to compel the defendant to call off the strike action and resort to the negotiating table.
The lecturers in their response said they remained resolute on their decision to declare strike and that they would only return to the lecture theatre when their grievances were resolved.
Currently, academic activities in all public universities across the country had been put on hold, and the various students unions have called for cool heads to prevail between UTAG and NLC.
The students said they were the worst victims of the impasse between the two institutions.
Meanwhile, there are concerns that the universities risk shutdown if an amicable resolution is not reached by next week.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
