UTAG declines invitation to meet with NLC, gov't despite out of court settlement order

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The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has turned down an invitation to meet the National Labour Commission (NLC) and government in a bid to resolve its ongoing strike.

In a letter to the NLC sighted by Citi News, UTAG lawyers said, “We honestly believe the more acceptable approach in the present circumstances is for our client to meet with the government side of the impasse to try and iron out their remaining differences.”

The NLC had invited the government and the striking lecturers to a meeting on February 7.

This was after a court had told the NLC and UTAG to settle the labour issues out of court, following an unsuccessful suit by the commission.

UTAG has consistently had concerns about the government’s commitment to meeting its needs.

“The lawyer made it clear that we signed a couple of MOAs [in the past], but the employer has not shown any good faith anytime the MOAs were signed,” the National Secretary of UTAG, Dr. Asare Asante-Annor, said to Citi News earlier.

UTAG has been on strike since January 10 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.

--citinewsroom