UTAG agrees to call off strike, says Education Committee
The leadership of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has agreed in principle to call off the four-week long strike after meeting with the Education Committee of Parliament.
The meeting which had the leadership of UTAG, Fair Wages, Minister for Education and Minister for Employment and Labor Relations is said to have lasted for hours.
Speaking to the media, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, the ranking member of the Education Committee of Parliament said “they (UTAG) are saying that if you do the calculation which they showed to us, there is some difference. Although they’re mentioning 114%, is the difference between what they’re taking now and the 114% that they’re looking for. So, we’ve asked the minister to go back with them and explain to them and I’m sure they’ll understand.”
“In principle on our appeal, they have agreed (to call off strike) on the condition that the government is ready to sit down with them immediately for them to resolve outstanding matters. The minister gave us the assurance that they are going to be committed once the committee has directed, there’s no way he as the leader of the government delegation will fail to meet with them,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the substantive motion is still in court, and it is expected to be heard on Tuesday 22 February 2022. UTAG believes that they have a good case.
Court order
The Labour Division of the Accra High Court placed an injunction on the strike by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG).
The court, presided over by Justice Frank Aboadwe Rockson, on Tuesday afternoon [15 February 2022] halted the strike which is currently in its fifth week.
The order followed an application for an interlocutory injunction by the National Labour Commission (NLC).
Per the orders of the court, UTAG must suspend its strike until the final determination of an application by the NLC, seeking to enforce its orders for UTAG to call off its strike and return to the negotiation table with the government.
