UHAS postpones End of Semester Examination following UTAG strike

UHAS POSTPONES END OF SEMESTER EXAMINATION FOLLOWING UTAG STRIKE.
All 13 member universities of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) have decided not to return to work.
The universities reached a consensus after UTAG received their resolutions on the industrial action, in which they unanimously agreed to continue the strike action.

A statement issued by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Association and signed by its National Secretary Dr K. K. Abavare on 8 August 2021, indicated: “Following the stalling of negotiations with the government on our Conditions of Service (CoS), which culminated in our declaration of a nationwide withdrawal of teaching and related activities among member public universities, all local branch executives were tasked by the National Executive Committee (NEC) to convene an emergency meeting to solicit the views of members on the way forward.”

The National Labour Commission secured a 10-day interlocutory injunction on the indefinite strike declared by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG).

The court said upon reading the affidavits of Mr Ofosu Asamoah, the Executive Secretary of the applicant filed on 5 August 2021 in support of the ex parte motion for an order of interlocutory injunction and upon hearing the submission of Yehoda Quartey, holding brief for Afiba Amihere, counsel for and on behalf of the applicant, “it is hereby ordered that the respondent [UTAG] by itself, its executives, officers, members, agents, servants, etc., are restrained from continuing with the current industrial action” and “are to comply with the directive of the NLC dated 2 August 2021”.

Taking the urgency of the matter into account, the court said “in addition to personal service of the order on the respondent, it is also to be served on the respondent by substituted service through the electronic media – radio, TV and other current electronic means”.

“It is, hereby, further ordered that this injunction is for 10 days and upon its expiration, the applicant is to come back on notice”, the order, given by the high court of justice, Labour Court 1, on Friday, 6 August 2021 and signed by Edem Erica Agbogbli, Deputy Registrar, noted.

But UTAG, in the statement reiterated its resolve to remain on strike until the demands are met.

The industrial action, according to UTAG, is against the “government on the grounds of its failure to address the worsening conditions of UTAG’s members within an agreed period”.

A statement co-signed by the same national executives dated 15 July 2021, indicated: “Specifically, negotiation of our conditions of service, which was started some two years ago and was early this year scheduled to end by the end of this month, July 2021, has overly been delayed with no end in sight,” adding: “In our last meeting with government, UTAG strongly indicated to the government that if by the agreed date of the end of negotiations – i.e. 31 July 2021 – no agreement is reached, the association would have no option but to resort to indefinite strike”.
UTAG, therefore, decided to “ withdraw teaching, one of its main duties, from 2 August 2021 if no agreement is reached by 31 July 2021”.

Following all these claims of UTAG, the UHAS branch of the association headed by Reuben Ayivor-Djanie,PhD (UTAG-UHAS president) on Thursday 12 August released a letter indicating their position as members of the association.

This letter was later confirmed by the university body when it also released a letter indicating the postponement of end of second semester exams which was scheduled to start Friday 13 August 2021.