Throughout the week, internal elections were conducted across various branches of the University Teachers Association Of Ghana (UTAG) to determine whether the National Executive Council of UTAG should announce a nationwide strike. A communique issued by UTAG regarding the deferment of their strike states that the Government has agreed to fulfill their Conditions of Service, leading to the postponement of the planned strike.
Subsequent to the deferred industrial action by UTAG, the National President of UTAG, Professor MAMUDU AKUDUGU,shed light on the rationale behind delaying the strike in an interview with Campus Exclusive this morning.
Professor MAMUDU explained that ongoing negotiations between UTAG and the government prompted the decision to defer the strike.
“We reached a reasonable agreement unexpectedly. When such progress occurs, it is essential to reassess your demands and the necessity of going on strike. If there is a reasonable expectation that demands can be met without resorting to a strike, the logical course is to defer the decision.”
He emphasized that the process involves determining the nature and timing of the strike, a responsibility he mentioned falls under the purview of the United Kingdom.
However, Professor MAMUDU reiterated that if negotiations prove unproductive within the specified timeframe, the option of a strike remains viable, and a new decision will be made accordingly.
“The possibility of a strike is still on the table as we have two pending items to address and conclude. If these matters are resolved within our self-imposed timeframe, we will review our stance. However, if not resolved within the allotted time, which we anticipated would conclude by the end of this period, we will address all outstanding issues, and the focus will shift to a collective decision during our subsequent meeting.”
He further emphasized that the voting members still hold the power to declare a strike, with approximately 82% expressing a readiness to take such action based on the preliminary voting results.
