[ 2014-07-24 ]

UTAG declares an indefinite Strike
The University Teachers Association of Ghana
(UTAG) has declared an indefinite strike.

According to UTAG, the decision to strike was
necessitated by what they consider as
government’s deliberate attempt to unduly delay
the payment of their book and research allowance.

Speaking at a conference on Thursday, Dr. Samuel
Ofori-Bekoe the National President of UTAG
insisted they will only call off the strike if
their monies are paid and they are assured the
book and research allowance will also not be
scrapped.

Find below the full details of the press
statement

UTAG’S PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE DELAY IN THE
PAYMENT OF THE 2013/2014 BOOK AND RESEARCH
ALLOWANCES HELD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PROFESSIONAL
STUDIES, ACCRA (UPSA) ON THURSDAY, 24TH JULY,
2014

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

You will recall that on 8th April, 2014, UTAG held
a press conference at this same venue to express
its position on and disappointment with
Government’s unilateral decision to abolish the
Book and Research Allowances paid to Academic
Senior Members of the Public Universities and in
its stead replace it with a National Research
Fund. We made our position clear that UTAG is not
opposed to the creation of the National Research
Fund. However, UTAG’s position has been that the
National Research Fund should not replace the
existing Book and Research Allowances.

It may be recalled that in that same press
conference and subsequent explanations on various
platforms, we justified the retention of the Book
and Research Allowances based on the following
reasons:

That since the Book and Research Allowances are
tied to the University Lecturer’s condition of
service, and was introduced as a result of a
collective decision taken by both Government and
UTAG, its intended abolition cannot be a
unilateral decision as such an action would have
implications for the overall conditions of service
of the university lecturer.

That the existing Book and Research Allowances
guarantee minimum and immediate research support
across the board for all lecturers and research
fellows.

That early career lecturers and researchers in the
public universities take advantage of the Book and
Research Allowances to start their professional
development and career in terms of the conduct of
research, purchasing of books and other
instructional materials, the subscription to
academic journals among others. The intended
abolition of the Book and Research Allowances will
hurt the career development of such category of
academics.

That the reasons why the Book and Research
Allowances were introduced in the 1995/96 academic
year are even more relevant today than at any
other time in the past, owing to large student
numbers resulting from increasing enrolment at the
public universities, which have increased the
research/teaching burden of the lecturer
enormously.

That if government goes ahead with the proposed
abolition of the Book and Research Allowances, it
will have grave implications for the future of the
public universities in Ghana.

Following that press conference, UTAG sent a
letter of intent to the National Labour Commission
(NLC) to withdraw its services by April 15, 2014
if the Government did not take steps to start the
process for the payment of the Book and Research
Allowances for the 2013/2014 academic year and
also rescind its decision to abolish the
allowances. Subsequently, the National Labour
Commission (NLC) issued a directive on 16th April,
2014 to both UTAG and the Government to go back
and negotiate on the issue and report to it on May
14, 2014.

UTAG complied and put a stay on its intention to
withdraw its services with the hope that
Government would demonstrate its commitment to
resolving the issue. At the negotiations, UTAG
provided official documentation to support its
claim that the allowances are part of its
condition of service as captured under: Section
9.13 of the Unified Conditions of Service for
Public Universities in Ghana.”

UTAG further provided a letter it received from
the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) in
response to UTAG’s request in 2013 for increment
of the allowances. The letter which was signed by
the Executive Secretary FWSC in the person of Mr
Smith Graham stated that the Book and Research
Allowances belong to Category II and III schedule
of allowances and would continue to be paid at the
existing rate until they were reviewed later by
the Public Services Joint Negotiation Committee
(PSJNC). Copies of both documents were submitted
to the Minister of Education.

Unfortunately, the negotiations ended in stalemate
in spite of the documentation and evidence UTAG
had provided to prove its case. Surprisingly,
Government still insisted that it would put the
money into the proposed National Research Fund.

Both UTAG and the Government reported the botched
negotiations to the National Labour Commission on
May 14, 2016. Subsequent to that, the NLC ruled
that the next step, as per the Labour Act 2003,
Act 651 was for both parties to go for mediation
to which UTAG complied.

Although the National Labour Commission (NLC) had
recommended that both parties should go for
mediation, Government requested UTAG to opt for
voluntary arbitration because of cost
implications. UTAG, in a show of cooperation to
resolve the matter, once again, obliged.

The NLC nominated a sole arbitrator to arbitrate
on the issue which UTAG was copied. Surprisingly,
when the arbitration process was about to start,
Government changed its mind and is now demanding,
for the second time, a waiver of voluntary
arbitration for compulsory arbitration without any
tangible reasons.

UTAG has also noted with concern, a recent press
statement by the Deputy Minister in charge of
Tertiary Education, Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
that suggests that the payment of the Book and
Research Allowances has not delayed because they
are usually made in September.

In a similar manner, the Hon Minister for Finance,
Mr Seth E. Terkper, in his presentation of the
2014 Mid-Year Review Budget Statement to
Parliament on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 announced
that Government had established the National
Research Fund with a seed money of GH¢15 million
to replace the Book and Research Allowances (See
page 45, under the subheading National Research
Facility).

This notwithstanding, Government has had a meeting
with UTAG on 23rd July, 2014 and has supposedly
agreed to pay the Book and Research Allowances for
the 2013/2014 academic year but with no clear time
lines. UTAG considers these inconsistences by
Government as not only a mere pretence, but also a
lack of clear focus, and a deliberate attempt to
unduly delay the process.

The leadership of UTAG, has so far, managed to
contain the frustration and anger of its entire
membership on the various campuses, and has
demonstrated the highest level of magnanimity and
cooperation on this matter, all in the effort not
to disrupt the academic calendar. Unfortunately,
under the present circumstances, it has become
extremely difficult to contain the situation.
Consequently, UTAG has decided to withdraw
indefinitely its teaching services with effect
from today, Thursday, 24th July, 2014.

Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press!

Source - Citifmonline

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