The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) says it is awaiting the decision of the Association’s National Executive Council on the resumption of lectures.
The chapter, in a statement signed by Dr Richard Amankwah Fosu, President and Dr Ian Kailan Abdul-Hamin, Secretary, UPSA-UTAG, said the members belonged to a national body hence any decision taken by the NEC of UTAG was binding on lecturers in UPSA.
This follows a notice by UPSA that lectures would resume on Monday, February 21, 2022, after a court injunction on UTAG’s four weeks strike.
The resumption of lectures was in a statement signed by Dr Koryoe Anim-Wright, Registrar of the University, copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
The statement urged all level 100 undergraduate and diploma students to report to the University’s hostel residence on Sunday, February 20, 2022 to prepare for lecturers on Monday, February 21, 2022.
It stated that the first six weeks of the semester would be in-person teaching, while the second week would be virtual teaching.
The Labour Division of the Accra High Court on Tuesday, February 15, placed an injunction on UTAG’s industrial action.
It asked members of the Association to return to the classroom to resume teaching while the substantive issue before the court was heard.
The court presided over by Mr Justice Frank Abodwe granted the injunction based on Article 296 of the 1992, saying negotiations could not go well if the respondent (UTAG) failed to call off its strike.
The Court scheduled February 22, 2022, to hear the substantive issue before it.
The substantive issue borders on the enforcement of the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) decision on UTAG.
The NLC had dragged UTAG to court following the Association ’s refusal to comply with the directive to call off its strike.
The Commission had filed two applications before the court.
The first is a motion for the enforcement of the directives issued by the NLC on January 13, this year, for UTAG to return to the lecture hall, so teaching could commence.
The second one is an interlocutory to restrain UTAG from continuing with its strike.
UTAG on Monday January 10, this year, embarked on industrial action over “worsening “condition of service.
The NLC after hearing the case on Thursday, January 13, 2022, ruled that the strike be called off because it was illegal and did not follow the due process.
UTAG, however, continued the industrial action despite the NLC’s directive to call it off.
Ashantibiz
