Senior Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, Ransford Gyampo has lashed out at the National Labour Commission (NLC) for dragging the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to court to compel them to call off their strike.

In a post on Facebook, Mr. Gyampo described the action as unfair since the Association has a right to demand better working conditions and payment for services rendered.

"Government enters into agreement with labour and violates its own agreement with Labour. The National Labour Commission won't drag government to court. But when Labour strikes over same violation, the National Labour Commission is quick to go to court," he fumed.

His comment follows an injunction from the Labour Court 1 on Friday, August 6, 2021, ordering all members of the Association to return to work with immediate effect.

UTAG has been on strike since Monday, August 2 and is demanding restoration of a 2012 Single Spine Salary Structure agreement that would have seen entry-level lecturers earn the cedi equivalent of $2,084 monthly.

But after unsuccessful negotiations with government over their demands, the National Labour Commission took the case to court to secure an interlocutory injunction while negotiations continue.

But Mr. Gyampo who is the newly elected Secretary for UTAG, insists such actions by the NLC, will no longer be tolerated.

According to him, dragging the Association to court is "sheer incompetence laced with cowardice."

He stressed that UTAG and other associations have tolerated these incompetent tendencies for far too long and that the "real fight is just about starting."

"They can jail all of us," he concluded in his post.