The leadership of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), has denied claims that it has agreed to call off its ongoing strike following its meeting with the Education Committee of Parliament.
The Ranking Member of the Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe on Thursday said UTAG has agreed in principle to call off its 5-week-long strike and will announce their decision after consultation with members following a meeting with all stakeholders.
“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 the President of UTAG, Prof. Solomon Nunoo, said they only told the Committee that they need to discuss the resolutions of the meeting with their members, and a decision on whether or not the strike will be called off will subsequently be taken by the National Executive Committee.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, he explained that the meeting with the Education Committee in Parliament afforded the legislators 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.”
Further explaining the happenings at Thursday’s meeting, he said the National Labour Commission (NLC) made some pleadings including calling off 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 said the NLC has been instructed to ensure that within one week after UTAG decides to call off its strike, the NLC must ensure that negotiations are completed.
Prof. Solomon Nunoo said UTAG will take a final decision in the coming days after which the NLC is expected to act and ensure that negotiations are completed.
UTAG ordered to call off strike
The Labour Division of the Accra High Court on Tuesday granted an interlocutory injunction against the industrial action by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) after an appeal by the National Labour Commission (NLC).
The NLC dragged UTAG to court after attempts to have UTAG call off its strike failed.
The court on two occasions ordered both parties to adopt an out-of-court settlement, but the engagements ended inconclusively.
With the latest order, it was anticipated that UTAG will immediately return to the classroom, but it has not.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
