The striking University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and the National Labour Commission are expected back in court today after what has been described by both government and lecturers as inconclusive engagements.
The five-week strike has already destabilized academic work, while the Labour Commission fights the Association over the legality or otherwise of the action.
Students have been left stranded on various campuses of public universities, not knowing what the academic future holds for them.
The Ministry of Education’s Public Relations Officer, Kwasi Kwarteng, told Citi News that the parties would be back in court after fruitless attempts at an out-of-court resolution of the impasse.
“As of now, a lot of these engagements have not been very conclusive. I am unable to, for instance, say that our parties have reached a very concrete resolution,” he said.
UTAG has been on strike since January 10 to force the government to restore the conditions of service agreed upon in 2012.
The 2012 conditions of service pegged the Basic plus Market Premium of a lecturer at $2,084.42.
UTAG has complained that the current arrangement has reduced its members’ basic premiums to $997.84.
The National Labour Commission dragged UTAG to court, but the two were told to return to the negotiation table.
The commission sued, seeking the enforcement of its order, which was defied by public university teachers in the country.
The commission earlier directed UTAG to call off its strike, but this directive was not adhered to.