The Minority in Parliament has advised the government to intervene and solve the ongoing University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) strike action.
Speaking to Lantam Papanko on Starr Today, the Ranking Member on Education Committee in Parliament, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe disclosed that the government should have solved the strike action since last year when the Minority begged the teachers to return to the classroom.
He added that the strike action has not come up in Parliament this year because “the whole of last week this issue of E-levy occupied the actions of the House. So we did not have enough time to look at other businesses.”
But, “the employer has a major role to play when workers go on strike. Because as an employer you have a target to meet and you must make sure that your employee stayed on the job and perform. So that you can achieve your expected target. But if they are on strike and you are not taking the necessary steps to make sure that the strike action ends, this is what we will be witnessing.
“So I think the government needs to do more than it is doing. It should not rely on the Labour Commission and Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to solve this problem. They should be doing things behind the scene formally and informally to end the strike. I have not seen the government doing that which is my greatest worry,” he stated.
Despite the various engagements from the National Labour Commission (NLC) among others with UTAG to resolve the impasse, the strike is entering the fourth week.
However, the Government has expressed confidence in ending the continuous strike action by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) across the country.
Addressing the media during Meet the Press Series on Sunday, the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Adutwum said he is committed to ensuring that the concerns of UTAG are addressed so that they return to the classrooms as soon as possible.
According to him, his outfit is still engaging with the leadership of UTAG; as it seeks to resolve the impasse with the union.
“Our University lecturers are on strike, but we continue to engage them as to how best we can get them back. As a Minister of Education, I have said I am a chief advocate for teachers and professors and when we find ourselves in this place. I do everything possible formally and informally, to make sure we come to some resolution.
“As we did the last time, we hope it will happen this time around. So we will continue to engage them to make sure that we can bring a resolution to this problem,” Dr. Adutwum reiterated.
