The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) says it will resume its suspended industrial action if government fails to fulfil the promise of improving its members’ working conditions within 14 days.

UTAG announced a suspension of its strike that lasted more than 40 days at an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Monday at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).

This followed an Accra High Court order that asked the lecturers to return to work to allow negotiations to be completed.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, the Association’s National President, Prof Solomon Nunoo, warned that members of UTAG are unhappy and will go to all extents to ensure an improvement of its conditions of service.

He said university lecturers expect the government to honour its promises, considering the involvement of some eminent individuals in the negotiation process.

“We know that the government has not fulfilled its part of the bargain in many signed agreements in the recent past; however, due to the involvement of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education and other eminent persons, we expect the government to carry through its promises this time around.”

“We’ll, however, not hesitate to resume the suspended strike should government renege on its commitment at the end of the stipulated period of negotiation. We call on the government to take advantage of this window to help improve the salary and general working conditions of the university teacher,” he urged.

Prof Nunoo also called on the government to see to the implementation of the several agreements that have been signed in recent times.

He was ‘cautiously optimistic’ that the employer would do the needful to improve the general working conditions of university teachers.

For me, I am still on campus and I am not going home – Student reacts to UTAG strike suspension. #TheUltimateExperience pic.twitter.com/FZa3byylOn

— Joy Prime (@JoyPrimeTV) February 22, 2022

“We call on all members of UTAG to rally behind leadership and remain calm and resolute at this important phase of our history. In many forums, the employer has agreed with stakeholders that there is the need to improve the conditions of service of university teachers.”

Before this, meetings held between the leadership of UTAG, Parliament’s Education Committee, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Education Minister and the Labour Minister last week had ended inconclusively.

UTAG wants government to restore their 2012 conditions of service, which pegged the monthly income of entry-level lecturers at $2,084.

The Association has complained that the current arrangement has reduced its members’ basic premiums to $997.84.

Statesmen such as former President John Agyekum Kufuor, Sam Jonah, some Vice-Chancellors, among others, had also weighed in and pleaded for the lecturers to return to the classroom.

But today’s decision leaves students with some optimism as their academic work is expected to resume.