The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has petitioned the National Labour Commission (NLC) to rescind its decision to drag the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to court over the UTAG strike action.
According to the Union, the deadlock between UTAG and Government was happening at a ‘‘dreadful’’ cost to university students nationwide leaving them in a state of dilemma as to whether or not to continue to stay on campus.
A statement issued by NUGS on Tuesday said, ‘‘UTAG and Government must understand that parents make extra expenses to keep their wards in school and it is unfair that these expenses get wasted as students loiter around university campuses without resumption of academic work anywhere in sight.”
‘‘We, the students are highly disappointed by the inability of Government and UTAG to reach a consensus. It also appears that both parties have taken an entrench stance, making dialogue almost impossible,’’ it noted.
NUGS expressed worry over the stance of both parties without them considering the plights of students. It explained the lack of trust between both parties during deliberations, attributing it to the constant breach of rules of engagements by the parties.
It, therefore, appealed to both parties to go into negotiations without the display of ego—power play, which might delay the desired outcome of consensus, thereby, worsening matters.
It recommended that UTAG took steps to call off the industrial action and return to negotiations with Government. The statement also urged Government to expedite the implementation of the Labour Market Survey.
It urged all students to remain calm as they continued to appeal to the parties involved to resolve the impasse.
‘‘It is our fervent hope and prayer that our good lord touches and softens the heart of parties involved to resolve issues amicably without thoughts of it reoccurring anytime soon’’ it said.
UTAG on Monday, January 10, 2022, embarked on an a strike over their “worsening” conditions of service.
The National Labour Commission after hearing their case on Thursday, January 13, 2022, ruled that the strike be called off because it was illegal and did not follow due process.
