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The Ministry of Education (MoE), has described the strike action by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) as unfortunate as the ministry had negotiations with the association during which some binding documents were signed.

According to the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, Kwesi Kwarteng, he expected UTAG to have respected the decision of the National Labour Commission.

Speaking to Eye Witness news, he said, “The National Labour Commission has made a directive which ought to be binding. I’m sure the good people of UTAG, may want to respect the decision of the National Labour Commission. Of course, if they disagree there are other processes available to them. But of course, the Ministry of Education and government as a whole will continue to engage them to make sure that we find an amicable solution to some of the conditions that have been raised.

“With a lot of these concerns, we would have expected that probably that negotiation that we did and the document that bind us probably would have been terminated fully. Unfortunately, we heard of the announcement of this strike which the NLC has made a decision upon. Inasmuch as we felt that, probably UTAG was a bit too fast and declaring the strike, we feel that in a way, that engagement will still have to go on at the end of the day so that we get to the bottom of the matter,” he added.

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) begun its nationwide strike action to press home their demand for improved conditions of service.

UTAG from last year has been lamenting the worsening conditions of its members and followed through with some demands on government.

In its latest press release dated January 8, the group decried government’s inability to implement as well as meet timelines agreed upon during negotiations as part of efforts aimed at improving the conditions of service of lecturers.