The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has indefinitely suspended its industrial strike over demand for better conditions of service.
“After careful assessment of the referenda results, interim agreements reached between UTAG and the Employer, and the various branch reports, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of UTAG resolved to indefinitely suspend the strike action of January 10, 2022.”
The Association has, therefore, called on the government to demonstrate good faith by being committed to all agreements to help maintain industrial harmony.
This was contained in a statement issued and jointly signed by the UTAG National President and National Secretary, Prof. Solomon Nunoo and Dr Asare Asante-Annor respectively, and copied to the Ghanaian Times in Accra, yesterday.
The statement said the National Executive Committee (NEC) of UTAG would “subject the government to strict proof and hold it accountable to every promise made and all signed agreements as days when the employer treated UTAG with contempt and made promises that were not fulfilled are past.”
It indicated that NEC held an emergency meeting last Tuesdayto among others consider the outcome of the referenda on its decision to temporarily suspend the industrial action commenced on January 10, 2022.
“In the ensuing referenda,12 out of the15 UTAG branches voted to reject the call for the suspension of the strike action, signifying their lack of trust in the employer’s commitment to addressing their concerns and, thus, their resolve to continue with the strike action until their demands were met,” it added.
For that reason, the NEC has pledged to ensure that all concerns raised by members were reflected in whatever agreement to be signed between the government and UTAG.
However, the NEC has appealed to members to remain calm and accept these proposals as interim measures, as it worked to ensure that they remained as such and ended in December, this year.
“The NEC of UTAG promises to monitor and police the full implementation of all agreements with the employer, and to work with clear timelines and roadmaps to ensure that all promises and agreements are respected,” the statement said.
“There would no longer be reactionary measures but proactive interventions that would not wait till matters get out of hand before resorting to industrial actions,” the statement added.
It further said the committee was resolved to pursue the agreements for the government to implement the Market Premium andor review the Single Spine Salary Structure in 2023, to help address concerns of poor conditions of services of the university teachers in full.
BY TIMES REPORTER
