NLC and UTAG battles over contempt case in court today

A Labour Court in Accra will later this [Monday] morning hear a contempt case brought against leadership of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), by the National Labour Commission (NLC).

The Commission on Friday August 6 secured an interlocutory injunction from the court to compel UTAG to call off their strike which started on Monday August 2, 2021.

UTAG has however refused to comply with order, indicating that the premise is false.

While the NLC says that UTAG cannot remain on strike while negotiations with government is ongoing, UTAG insists that there is currently no active negotiation between them and the government.

The President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana, Prof. Charles Marfo in a Citi News interview said they have also filed processes to set aside the injunction.

“[Our] legal team also filed [an application]. NLC urged the court to set aside the injunction. We think that the injunction was not properly served and so it is now a matter for the court to determine. The NLC says that we cannot be negotiating while on strike, but our position is that given what has transpired between us and government, there is no negotiation ongoing unless they want to now call us to begin negotiation.”

He said the leadership of UTAG will avail itself should the government invite them to the negotiation table.

“If the government wants to engage us, we are willing and ready to engage government,” he noted.

UTAG members have been on strike since the beginning of August because they want the government to restore the conditions of service agreed upon in 2012 which they said was far better than the current situation.

The 2012 Single Spine package put entry-level lecturers on a salary of $2,084 while the current level puts lecturers’ salaries around $900.

The strike by UTAG has severely affected academic and some non-academic work at the various tertiary campuses.