As the strike of two teacher unions, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), enters week three today, there appears to be no end in sight.
The two unions are fighting for better working conditions.
The National Labour Commission’s order for the teachers to return to work immediately was met with contempt by the teachers, who are adamant about their demands.
Since then, the helpless Labour Commission has had to rely on the Vice Chancellors and Administrators of the various public universities to get their teachers back into the lecture halls.
But, that did not also seem fruitful as a meeting between UTAG and Vice Chancellors Ghana last Thursday ended without a resolution.
Meanwhile, the fate of the academic calendar remains in the balance as students are left stranded on various campuses.
It remains unclear whether government will see reason with the striking teachers and return them to the lecture halls this week.
UTAG members on all campuses are on strike to force the government to restore the conditions of service agreed upon in 2012.
The 2012 conditions of service pegged the basic plus market premium of a lecturer at $2,084.42.
UTAG has complained that the current arrangement has reduced its members’ basic premiums to $997.84.
On the other hand, CETAG has laid down its tools over claims that the government had failed to implement the 2017-2020 conditions of service, as agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between CETAG and the government.
They want the government to pay their interim premiums and book and research allowances.
Academic work in all 46 public Colleges of Education across the country have halted as a result.
Fair Wages urges cooler heads
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission is assuring calm on the labour front as worker unions continue to strike
This assurance comes on the back of about five industrial actions taken by some labour Unions in furtherance of demands for better conditions of service.
The Public Relations Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Earl Ankrah, says government is committed to addressing the various concerns of the striking workers.
“For us as government, it’s okay for workers to express their desire for better conditions of service. But we would rather wish that they went through the process because we work under law and give the employer some advance time, give the National Labour Commission some time and when they are invited, they come for timelines to be set for the issues to be taken care of.”
