NUGS Commend Government For UTAG Strike Intervention
Newly sworn-in executives of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) have commended the government for intervening and getting the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to call off their industrial strike action that lasted 16 days.
UTAG declared a strike action on the 2nd of August 2021 and served notice of calling it off after agreeing with tentative terms with the government.
UTAG members after an emergency meeting with the National Labour Commission (NLC), Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations said they are returning to work on the condition that the NLC discontinues a court case against them.
UTAG is demanding the implementation of a 2012 Single Spine package which put entry-level lecturers on a salary equivalent of $2,084.
Addressing the President at the Jubilee House when they paid a courtesy call on him, to introduce themselves to the government, the NUGS President Emmanuel Yiadom Boakye said the Union is grateful for the government’s intervention in getting university teachers to return to lecture halls.
He added that the parties in the negotiations that lie ahead should approach the process with an open mind to find an amicable solution to the demands of university lecturers.
“As a Union, we commend our Minister and other government agencies in their ability to get UTAG to return to negotiations. At the end of the day, we will still plead with both parties to take away all forms of entrenched positions such that the negotiation processes would not be prolonged or delayed” the NUGS President Yiadom Boakye said.
The NUGS President in his address also indicated that there have been increases in hostel fees charged on students by hostels that operate on the various university campuses in the country. To this end, he urged the government to engage the management of universities in the country to review their charges.
“As a Union, we have made certain contacts and we have realized there are certain deliberate attempts by some University management staff just to create artificial shortage on campuses,” the NUGS President said.
“We are calling on your high office to get to the university management to be flexible on the BOT, build, operate and transfer policies in the various universities” the NUGS President added.
*Licensure Exams*
On the recent licensure exams of trainee teachers and the mass failure of students who wrote the exams, the NUGS President asked for an investigation into the development to know the actual challenges with the examination.
*President Akufo-Addo*
President Akufo-Addo when he addressed the NUGS delegation noted that the decision of UTAG to call off its strike is a welcome one. He assured that the negotiations will continue between the government and UTAG to find a permanent solution to the demands of university teachers in the country.
“We are hoping very much that some strong binding arrangement will be finally agreed on by the parties as a road map that has been established and hopefully both parties will make sure that this roadmap is carefully implemented. It is in the interest of all of us to make sure that there is no disruption to academic work in our tertiary institutions” President Akufo-Addo said.
On all the other issues raised by the NUGS delegation, President Akufo-Addo assured the Union leadership that his government will give them the necessary attention.
*The NUGS delegation*
The NUGS delegation that called on the President included the NUGs President, Emmanuel Yiadom Boakye, General Secretary, Julius Anthony Kwame, Secretary for Innovation, Faithful Afrani Kesse, Secretary for International Relations, Pius Theophilus Baidoo, David Hughes, Secretary for Welfare, and Ohemaa Bediako, Secretary for Women’s Development.
From Wilberforce Asare