The National Labour Commission has invited the Senior Staff Association - Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) and University Teachers Association (UTAG), to appear before it on August 5,2021.

The invitation is for a discussion on the withdrawal of services by members of SSA-UoG and UTAG .

In separate letters dated August 2, addressed to the Associations, NLC invited the leaderships to make themselves available for negotiations.

The representatives of UTAG are expected to meet the Commission at 11:00am and SSA-UoG representatives have been scheduled for 12:30 pm.

“The invitation is in accordance with section 139 of the Labour Act 2003, Act 651. The National Labour Commission directs that with this intervention, the Union should stay all action(s) for the parties to appear before the Commission,” parts of the letters read.

This comes after the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), directed members to withdraw all teaching and related activities on campus beginning Monday, August 2.

Members of the Association are to lay down their tools and stay off teaching, examinations and invigilation, marking of examination scripts and processing of results until further notice.

A statement issued by the NEC revealed the decision to embark on an industrial strike was borne out of the government’s refusal to heed calls by the Association to improve the worsening conditions of service of the university teachers.

The Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana also declared a strike effective August 2, in connection with the failure by the government to resolve issues concerning their conditions of service.

In a statement, the group said the government failed to "respect and fulfil the agreements between both parties at different intervals.

The National Labour Commission urged the aggrieved parties to honour the invitation for negotiations to take place.

Meanwhile, students at the University of Ghana (UG) are beginning to feel the effects of the strike action by their lecturers today.

Many of them showed up to empty lecture halls as members of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) embark on the industrial action alongside the Senior Staff Association – Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG).