‘Our Issues With Gov’t Have Been Resolved’- UTAG After Latest Negotiation Meeting
There may be big relief for public university students in the coming days because, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) says it has been able to resolve its impasse with the government.
This was after a crunch meeting between the two parties which ended on Friday, March 4, 2022.
UTAG says it has reached an agreement with government over its almost two months strike after successful deliberations.
“What we can say for now is that, we have resolved the situation that we find ourselves in with our employer. So, as we speak, we have been able to settle our differences now. We have moved on”, National Secretary of UTAG, Dr. Asare Asante Annor told said.
Striking UTAG members have been demanding the implementation of conditions of service agreed on in 2012.
The industrial action has had a negative impact on academic activities in public universities.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of UTAG gave the government until March 4, 2022, to finalize negotiations. This led to the suspension of the strike.
However, majority of universities voted to reject the NEC’s decision although the disparity in voting by members didn’t avert the resumption of academic activities.
But after the leadership of UTAG concluded negotiating with government over the concerns, the group says it is hopeful government will fulfil its part of the bargain.
“We want to take this opportunity to thank the General UTAG members for their support. We also hope that, with the intervention from the President that there will be a lasting solution to the impasse, he is going to see through it”, Dr. Asare Asante Annor appealed.
Satisfactory solution
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had assured the government is determined to find satisfactory solutions to UTAG’s demands.
He said the relevant stakeholders are working to bring an end to the stalemate.
“The government is determined to find a satisfactory solution to this impasse and ensure that the academic calendar is not substantially derailed. The best form of negotiation is that both parties of the dispute exhibit good faith within the context of what is affordable and equitable. I continue to hope the government will help bring this impasse to an end so that the education of our young people can resume in solemnity.”