The government is meeting the leadership of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) today to chart a road map towards finding a lasting solution to the impasse between them.
This follows the successful conclusion of a similar meeting with the leadership of the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) on Tuesday, August 26, 2014, which led to the calling off of a three-month-old strike embarked on by the association.
The UTAG is on strike over the non-payment of the book and research allowance to its members.
Currently, the book allowance stands at $1,500 per lecturer per year, while the research component stands at Ghc400.
There are reports that institutions that have nothing to do with research have been benefiting from the research allowance.
Such institutions include the National Accreditation Board, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Science, the Ghana Science Association of Encyclopedia Africana, the senior staff of the university primaries and the National Board for Professional and Technical Examination.
Unsatisfied with delays in resolving the impasse, the UTAG decided to go to the law court to compel the government to pay the allowance.
At a meeting with the leadership of POTAG last Tuesday, the government pledged to pay the book and research allowances to polytechnic teachers.
But the university lecturers said that was not the first time that the government had expressed such commitment to pay the allowance.
They, therefore, decided to continue with their action until the allowances were paid into their account.
A source at the Ministry of Education was hopeful that the issues would be resolved amicably.
Source: GhanaWeb
