The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has announced that they will not be going on strike as a result of successful negotiations with the government on their conditions of service (CoS).
According to a statement released by UTAG, the association has made significant progress in discussions with the government on three main issues – payroll, non-payroll, and monetary matters.
UTAG stated that they have reached an agreement with the government on payroll items, which will be effective from January 1, 2024. They expect the changes to be reflected on the payslips of their members as soon as possible. In addition to this, UTAG indicated that each branch executive has engaged with their respective management on nonpayroll/IGF-related items, and agreed figures will be submitted to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission for further action.
A joint committee comprising representatives from UTAG/TUTAG, FWSC, and VCG (Vice Chancellors Ghana) has also been established to address non-monetary items. The committee will convene to finalize decisions on the critical pending matters. UTAG added that upon reaching agreements on these outstanding issues, they will formalize the CoS document, subject to renegotiation every two years.
The National Executive Council (NEC) of UTAG has decided to defer any strike action until further notice, given the signing of the agreement on payroll items and the forthcoming meetings on non-monetary and IGF discussions with FWSC. UTAG expressed gratitude to all their members nationwide for their patience and understanding throughout the negotiation process. They also thanked the Minister of Education, Finance Ministry, FWSC, and others for helping expedite the discussions on payroll items.
