UTAG-UESD embarks on indefinite strike

Listen to this article

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) branch of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) has embarked on an indefinite strike over its outstanding online teaching support allowance (OTSA).

UTAG-UESD, in a letter dated February 19, stated that the strike would take effect on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.

“By this letter, all UTAG-UESD members are advised to withdraw all teaching and teaching-related services until further notice. Members who fail to comply with the collective action shall be referred swiftly to the Judicial Committee for appropriate action,” the statement said.

The union, in a February 6, 2024, letter, two weeks clear, announced its intention to go on strike indefinitely following the “government’s failure to pay our 25-month outstanding OTSA.”

The members held the view that they have been “neglected, treated disrespectfully,” adding that “they cannot continue romancing the stone.”

Do you want the best Odds? Click Here

The strike action has also become necessary as several engagements with the National Labour Commission (NLC) on the matter have yielded no results.

Read more on industrial actions:

“On January 31, 2024, UTAG-UESD held an emergency meeting to carefully deliberate on
the matter. Members were of the general view that they have been neglected and treated very disrespectfully.

“On February 02, 2024, UTAG-UESD voted massively in favor of industrial action to register our utmost displeasure against this bad faith.”

“By this letter, NLC is officially reminded to take all drastic measures that would lead to the payment of our OTSA. We would like to clearly state that if we do not receive the full payment of our OTSA on or before February 19, 2024, UTAG-UESD members shall withdraw all our services,” portions of a separate letter dated February 5 read.

Meanwhile, about 433 members of the University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) have voted in favour of strike action.

They await the other 14 UTAG campuses to also vote to decide whether or not UTAG in general, should strike over how the government is handling the negotiations about their condition of service.

President of UG UTAG, Professor Ransford Gyampo, explained on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 Monday, February 5, that “lecturers of the UG have given a clear message that they want to strike, somewhere last week, the NEC of UTAG met and reviewed the over-year negotiation that we have had with the government and the concern that was expressed was that it appears the government is being lackadaisical and not treating us with all the seriousness we deserve at such meetings.”