UTAG suspends strike action indefinitely

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has suspended the strike action indefinitely.

In a statement dated March 8, 2022, jointly signed by the President of UTAG, Prof Solomon Nunoo and National Secretary, Dr Asare Asante-Annor, members of UTAG were urged to "demonstrate good faith by returning to the lecture halls to teach."

"We call on the Employer to demonstrate same good faith by being committed to all agreements to help maintain industrial harmony."

"The days when the Employer treated UTAG with contempt and made promises that were not fulfilled are past. The NEC of UTAG would subject the Employer to strict proof and hold it accountable to every promise made and all signed agreements," it added.

Below is a copy of the full statement by UTAG

1. The National Executive Committee of UTAG held an Emergency Meeting on Tuesday, 8th March 2022, to among others, consider the outcome of the referenda on its decision to temporarily suspend the industrial action commenced on 10th January 2022.

You may recall that the NEC of UTAG voted to temporarily suspend the strike action on Monday, 21st February 2022 to pave way for negotiations with the Employer to help meet some of the demands and address the concerns of UTAG.

2. In the ensuing referenda, twelve (12) out of the fifteen (15) UTAG branches voted to reject the call for the suspension of the strike action, signifying their lack of trust in the Employer’s commitment to addressing their concerns and, thus, their resolve to continue with the strike action until their demands were met.

3. At the meeting, the NEC of UTAG received reports from the various branches in relation to the branch meetings held on Friday, 4th March 2022. In general, the reports centred on the dissatisfaction of members on the arrangements put in place to address their demands. In this regard, the NEC of UTAG will endeavour to ensure
that all concerns raised by members are reflected in whatever agreement to be signed between the Employer and UTAG.

4. Notwithstanding the concerns raised, members also considered the interventions of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education and the eminent persons, which led to the temporary suspension of the strike action, in accepting the proposals.

5. Once again, the NEC of UTAG reiterates its awareness of the level of disappointment and dissatisfaction of members on the proposals to deal with the demands of members. However, the NEC of UTAG appeals to members to remain calm and accept these proposals as interim measures, as it works to ensure that they remain as such and ends in December 2022.

6. The NEC of UTAG promises to monitor and police the full implementation of all agreements with the Employer, and to work with clear timelines and roadmaps to ensure that all promises and agreements are respected. There would no longer be reactionary measures but proactive interventions that would not wait till matters get
out of hand before resorting to industrial actions

7. The NEC of UTAG is resolved to pursue the agreements for the Employer to implement the Market Premium and/or review the Single Spine Salary Structure in 2023, to help address concerns of poor Conditions of Services of the University Teacher in full.

8. After careful assessment of the referenda results, interim agreements reached between UTAG and the Employer, and the various branch reports, the NEC of UTAG resolved to indefinitely suspend the strike action of 10th January 2022.

9. We thank all members for their patience and support and pledge to act in a manner reflective of their mood at all times. We also thank all stakeholders for their support and action to help address the needs of the University Teacher. We wish all well as we demonstrate good faith by returning to the lecture halls to teach and call on the Employer to demonstrate same good faith by being committed to all agreements to help maintain industrial harmony.

The days when the Employer treated UTAG with contempt and made promises that were not fulfilled are past. The NEC of UTAG would subject the Employer to strict proof and hold it accountable to every promise made and all signed agreements.

Once again, we thank all our members for their support and wish them a pleasant 2021/2022 academic year.