By Nathaniel Nartey
Government is yet to make an offer to UTAG following its decision to suspend its industrial action until March 4, 2022 for negotiations to continue.
National President of UTAG Prof Solomon Nunoo, says although UTAG is aware of the government’s history of not honouring commitments to the Association, members are optimistic the government will come through this time around. He said the intervention by Former President John Agyekum Kuffour, Sir Sam Jonah, Parliament and others, informed their decision to temporarily suspend the strike. Professor Nunoo made the point at a media briefing in Accra, to officially announce the decision of the National Executive Council, NEC, to temporarily suspend the strike. Nathaniel Nartey reports that UTAG has held 3 separate meetings with the Ministry of Education since it declared the industrial action on January 10, all to no avail.
According to the Association, the government, often represented by the Ministries of Education, Finance and Employment has not made any offer to UTAG for consideration in all those meetings hence their entrenched position. At the media briefing a day after it issued a statement announcing the Executive Committee’s decision to suspend the strike, National President of the Association, Professor Solomon Nunoo explained that UTAG decided to suspend the strike only after some eminent personalities such as former President John Agyekum Kuffour appealed to them.
Professor Nunoo cautioned that UTAG will have no option than to go on strike again if the government fails to honour its commitments.
The engagement with the media ended abruptly as members had to rush to Court for their pending case initiated by the National Labour Commission.
