UTAG got the best of services in the agreement signed in October – Earl Ankrah

Head of Public Affairs, Fair Wages and Salary Commission (FWSC,) Mr Earl Ankrah, has said the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) got the best of services in the agreement they signed in October last year.

The lecturers who are currently on strike had complained, among other things, that the FWSC delayed releasing the report on the Labour Market Survey.

Speaking in an interview with Alfred Ocansey on the Sunrise show on 3FM Thursday, January 13, Mr Ankrah said, “They [UTAG got the best of service in the agreement they signed in October.”

He further revealed that UTAG failed to show up for a meeting scheduled to take place yesterday, Wednesday, January 12, to discuss the issues.

“UTAG didn’t turn up for the meeting yesterday. We hope that they turn up today. We don’t know if it was a deliberate condition, but we will find out today,” he said.

Another scheduled meeting between the National Labour Commission (NLC), on the one hand, and the UTAG and FWSC, on the other hand, is today, Thursday, January 13

The meeting, called by NLC, was originally scheduled to come off on Wednesday but was delayed by 24 hours upon a request by the university teachers.

The NLC had raised concerns on Monday, January 10, when the lecturers began their strike, saying they should have complied with section 159 of Act 651.

But section 159 would have caused the Commission to intervene immediately.

Notwithstanding, the NLC said it is committed to resolving the matter.

UTAG’s National Secretary, Dr Asare Asante-Annor, had contested NLC’s concerns on TV3 but assured that they would be at the meeting.

Each representative is expected to bring no more than two officials due to the coronavirus protocols.