Life on the various campuses of the country’s universities on Monday return to normal following an agreement between the University Teachers Association (UTAG) and a nine-member Committee set by government to address their grievances.
The nine-member Committee chaired by Nana Agyewodin Adu Gyamfi Ampem was able to negotiate new salaries for university lecturers at a meeting last Thursday with UTAG and all other stakeholders.
The meeting asked that lectures should resume work while further negotiations on other issues continue. The atmosphere at the campus of the University of Ghana (UG) Legon, where the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited early this morning was very lively. Most students were seen conversing happily about the resumption of work by the lecturers.
Lecture halls were full of anxious students eager to grasp last minute tips before the exams. Dr David Obeng Anim, President of the UTAG, Legon branch, said members decided to call off their strike action not because they are satisfied with the outcome of proceedings at the meeting but they did it for the sake of their integrity and students’ welfare in general.
He said students at the UG have been give one week to prepare for their exams that have been re-scheduled for next week instead of this week to enable them to have the right frame of mind to study.
Dr Anim said UTAG is also satisfied with the fact that they have been suspended from the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS) and are now recognised as a Trade Union, which can now negotiate salaries and other issues with government on their own.
“We have made a few headway through the setting up of such a committee that will review our salaries and other issues from time to time to ensure that such an unpleasant incident does not happen again and we are grateful” he added.
He expressed his appreciation to all students, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), parents and all stakeholders for their concern and patience during the past few weeks of UTAG’s struggle to press their demands for better salary and conditions of service.
Nana Brukum, Secretary of UTAG, Legon branch added that the National Executive plans to meet its members on June 13 to brief them on the out come of their negotiations.
UTAG, on June five, embarked on an indefinite strike action dubbed “Operation desert storm”, to press home, their demand for salary increase and better conditions of service for University lecturers.
A nine-member committee was set by Cabinet to meet with UTAG, the Council of Vice Chancellors and Principals (CVCP) and the University Councils to deliberate on the issue and to come out with a solution.
