UTAG Strike: I'll Ensure We Come To Some Resolution – Adutwum

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum

Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has assured to work to resolve the issues that resulted in the industrial action by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to enable them to return to the classroom to teach.

“Unfortunately, university lecturers are on strike, but we continue to engage them as to how best we can get them back,” he said at a press conference in Accra on Sunday, January 30.

He added “As a Minister of Education, I have said I am a chief advocate for teachers and professors and when we find ourselves in this place. I do everything possible formally and informally, to make sure we come to some resolution.”

UTAG members have been on strike since Monday, January 10.

This was a result of the failure of the government to resolve their issues.

A statement they issued on Saturday, January 8 said “We must also point out the fact that, generally our members have decried the pittance agreed to be paid as annual research allowance and would want to have government to reconsider the payment of a more realistic research allowance as this is critical to our research output, promotion and ultimately national development.

“For the reasons stated above, the NEC of UTAG at its meeting held on 7th January 2022 reiterated its resolve to follow through with the decision to withdraw teaching and related activities until further notice with effect from Monday, 10th January 2022 and call on all UTAG members across the fifteen (15) branches to observe this directive.COMMUNIQUE-UTAG-STRIKEDownload

“As a matter of urgency, we also call on the Employer to restore members to the 2013 IMP of 114% of Basic Salary in the interim whilst Government goes ahead to formulate guidelines to implement the appropriate recommendations to address the CoS of the University Teacher. Following the uneasiness among UTAG members, any delay by the Employer would further exacerbate the already fragile academic calendar to the detriment of all stakeholders.”

The statement further said that “It may be recalled that the Interim Market Premium (IMP) which was instituted following the implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy got frozen, per a Government White Paper, in 2013, for the purpose of the conduct of an LMS to determine an MP payable to workers deserving of it. To date, this determination has not been made, which has resulted in the erosion of the University Teacher’s salary.

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