University Teachers Begin Strike Monday

ACCRA, Ghana (PANA) - The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) on Friday said that it would embark on an indefinite strike starting from 5 June, to back their demand for better salaries and conditions of service.

Addressing a news conference in Accra, Prof. Stephen A. Osei, National President of UTAG, said that the university teachers were tired of being deceived with sweet promises and would no more compromise.

"UTAG is not amused at all by what we perceive as a deliberate attempt by the Ministry of Education and the government to buy time.

"We have no time to sell and even if we had, we would be unwise to sell to the same people who on several occasions have not backed their words of sympathy with action", he said.

Osei said the lecturers are not happy about the decision of the ministry that the final report from the Technical Committee set up under the recommendation of Cabinet during an emergency meeting on 12 May, should be referred to the various university councils for further action.

UTAG embarked on a one-week strike action a fortnight ago to back their demand for better salary and other conditions of service.

The strike will affect the academic work of some of the universities that are about to start their examinations and the National Union of Ghana Students has appealed to the lecturers to reverse their decision.

A joint technical committee was set up at the emergency meeting between the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Professors (CVCP), National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) and UTAG to finalise a report to be submitted to the MOE for action.

Osei said UTAG expected a speedy resolution of the matter once the Technical Committee's report was presented to the Ministry.

He said lecturers would not go back to lecture rooms until the government meets their demands.