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We can’t toil while Article 71 office holders ‘enjoy’ – CKT-UTAS UTAG President on resumption of strike

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The University Teachers Association Ghana (UTAG) has insisted that until government attends to its concerns, as was agreed sometime last year, it will resume its strike action on January 10, 2022. UTAG explained that the government has continued to turn a blind eye to the concerns of the teachers with the explanation that the economy is in turmoil because of COVID-19 while Article 71 holders continue to reap the benefits of the economy.

The President of UTAG at the C. K. Tedam University for Technical and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Dr. Jonas Bugase was speaking to A1 News.

“Government needs to understand that it must pay attention to the needs of labour. Just within the first week of January, how many labour unions have gone on strike? Is it not because of worsening conditions? There is the need for government to make a considerable effort to resolve all of these concerns quickly. We also understand that the economy has some challenges but we cannot keep saying same while Article 71 holders are there enjoying the best conditions and those toiling for the system are left hungry,” he explained.

He explained that the government had reached an earlier agreement with UTAG to submit market survey results that would have decided the amounts involved UTAG’s market premiums and base pay in 2022.

According to Dr. Bugase, the initial agreement was for the government to submit the completed market survey by the close of November 2021. Government however failed to meet the agreed deadline. UTAG then reached out to the government sometime in December but their concerns went unheeded to.

“As at the end of December 2021, we had not heard anything from them [government]. We wrote to them on December 11, 2021, requesting this copy [of the completed market survey] to study and decide whether to strike or not. Nothing was forthcoming from the government. We took the decision that if we did not get a copy, then we will resume our strike. We have resolved that we will go on strike on January 10, 2022,” he explained.

The CKT-UTAS UTAG President said that the resumption of the strike was timed with the academic calendar so that students would not be caught in the impasse between the government and the lecturers.

A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana

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