Prof yaw Gyampo the Secretary of The Univeristy of Ghana UTAG Chapter has made it known to Ghanaians that members are not happy but they do respect the decision of the NEC even though 12 out of the 15 branches voted for tge continuation of the strike.Acc
He emphasised that government has failed to fullfil most of promises and it shows a form of disrespect to them.
He made this statement on his Facebook page,check what he said
- The National Executive Committee of UTAG has formally suspended the strike. But this is merely a tactical retreat. It is important to point out the fact that, the problems of UTAG have not been solved and their demands have not been met. Promises that have been made to address the concerns of UTAG members have all been unfulfilled. The trust deficit the government suffers, is the reason why 12 out of the 15 public universities have voted to continue with the strike.
- However, while thinking about continuing with the strike, as per majority decision by members, some proposals on how to temporarily address our concerns have been tabled by the government. Our members have rejected these proposals but we have appealed to them to accept them as temporary interventions for the academic year. In response, they have made series of recommendations that they expect to be reflected in whatever agreement that may be signed. These recommendations have been submitted to the government and we expect that they will be incorporated into all relevant documentations.
- The substantive interventions to address concerns about the Conditions of Service of the University Lecturer are to be implemented next year. We warn that, we won’t be taken for granted. We call on all the Eminent Ghanaians who begged us to soften our stance, the pastors who secretly appealed for a quick resolution of the impasse, our students and parents to be our witnesses. We will police the implementation of every current and future agreement to the letter.
- We serve notice that, the days when UTAG members looked only to the heavens for their reward are gone. We will receive our reward here on earth and in the hereafter. We won’t teach people to be rich and be impoverished by the very act the makes people rich. To this end, we warn that should government fail to honor its obligations under the temporary arrangement and the future substantive arrangement, no one will be able to contain the anger of our members. No one will cow us into submission. No eminent Ghanaian will beg. No pastor will plead and no student will wail. We will fight every infantile attempt to use state institutions to intimidate us.
- Our members are going back to teach in anger and virtually on empty stomach but we will continue to plead with them to do this probably for the last time, as our show of genuine patriotism. The government must also demonstrate good faith by being committed to all agreements, to help maintain industrial harmony.
- The days when the Employer treated UTAG with contempt and made promises that were not fulfilled are past. We would subject the relevant ministers and stakeholders to strict proof and hold them accountable to every promise made and all signed agreements.
- So, let all be committed to agreements to be signed and let the National Labor Commission be proactive in ensuring that government commits itself to its own signed documents. For it is in the Commission’s own interest to do so, as an independent arbiter, else, we are more than ready to engage it in a fierce battle on all fronts, the next time, to make it moribund.
- We may have succeeded in getting only a temporary arrangement that provides some small respite for us. A bigger victory however lies in our clear message that, we are now a force to reckon with, and that we mean business in our fight for better Conditions of Service.
- We hope and pray that the economy would do well next year to make it easier for agreements signed to be honored. We won’t accept the challenges of the economy as the reason for non-commitment to agreements. If times are hard, this must be felt by all and in particular, those who are expected to serve the citizenry; hard times must not discriminate between political office holders and public servants.
Yaw Gyampo
A31, Prabiw
P.A.V Ansah Street
Saltpond
&
Suro Nipa House
Kubease
Larteh-Akuapim