Students from various universities campus in Ghana have been sharing their mixed reactions on the University Teachers Association of Ghana’s (UTAG) 21-day strike notice.
On 27th October, 2023, UTAG issued a statement to inform the government of their intention to embark on a strike. This 21-day period serves as a grace period in preparation for an impending strike unless the government is able to fulfil their conditions.
In the statement, they stated reasons for this decision and have since not made any intention to revert. They claim there has been a slow pace of negotiations on the part of the government, deliberate distortions of aspects of the signs Memoranda of Agreements (MoAs), as well as non payments of certain allowances owed them.
Speaking to Univers News, some students were displeased with the idea of an impending strike, noting how the development would affect the students.
“I don’t really support this strike because it really affects the whole semester for me individually. Having a break in the middle of nowhere is going to disrupt my steady pattern, and it’s also going to disrupt my flow and understanding the course.”
“The strike is not something that is favorable. Right now, I’m in level 400, and already I’m in a hurry to finish the school. A strike happening is just going to prolong the academic calendar.”
Other students, on the contrary, appreciated the development, as they believed the strike would be a break from academic work.
“I know students. some would say, it’s going to affect them academically but me being truth here, I really want it to happen because I’m tired. I just want to have a little bit of rest so I’m looking forward to it.”
With the imminence of a strike, the government’s decision over the grace period would determine the course of actions for these students in their academic work.
–
Story by : Joshua Acquah Addo | univers.ug.edu.gh
