- "While we feel that we have been taken by surprise, we also believe that at the end of the day, leadership ought to be demonstrated."
The Ministry of Education has expressed surprise at the decision by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to embark on an indefinite strike.
UTAG began its industrial action Monday (10 January 2022) to demand better conditions of service.
According to UTAG, the government has breached the timelines agreed for resolution.
However, speaking to Beatrice Adu on the Big Bulletin on Monday (January 10), the public relations officer of the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Kwarteng said “together with the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and, of course, all other stakeholders we have been engaging UTAG for months. While we feel that we have been taken by surprise, we also believe that at the end of the day, leadership ought to be demonstrated.
“We have never said that those concerns raised by UTAG are not valid. We know that when we talk about market premium it is a subject that is non-negotiable.”
Meanwhile, the National Labour Commission (NLC) has summoned the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the University Teachers Association of Ghana to appear before it on Wednesday (12 January 2022) “for a hearing of the issues in dispute.”
UTAG has for some time now been demanding the implementation of a 2012 Single Spine package which put entry-level lecturers on a salary equivalent of US$2,084 while the current level puts lecturers’ salaries around US$900.
Nicholas Brown
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