UTAG strike: KNUST faces eminent closure
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology faces eminent closure following a strike action by University Teachers Association and the Senior Staff Association.
Senior Staff Association together with University Teachers in public universities in Ghana on Monday August 2, 2021, laid down their tools following a break down of negotiations with government over their conditions of service.
The development has affected academic activities and almost all departments in state-run universities of which the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is no exception.
OTEC News Kwame Agyenim Boateng who visited the school’s campus reported that students who were supposed to sit for their end of semester examinations were left stranded at the various lecture halls with no teachers to supervise the exams.
Academic activities at the university’s basic school were left to national service personnels as senior staff members failed to show up.
Speaking to OTEC News’ Kwame Agyenim Boateng Boateng the University Relations Officer for KNUST Dr Norris Bekoe explained that the school would be forced to send all students home should the strike persist.
“A greater number of our staff are members of the two association on strike now and so if their negotiations with government fails, school authorities will have no option than to close down the university”.
He appealed to the government and members of UTAG to as a matter of urgency resolve any impasse between to avoid the entire closure of the school.
UTAG Communique’
The University Teachers Association of Ghana, UTAG, is set to begin an indefinite strike from today, Monday, August 2, 2021.
In a communiqué on July 30, UTAG directed all its members to comply with the strike.
UTAG members on all campuses are to withdraw teaching and other activities like examinations, invigilation, marking of examination scripts and the processing of examination results
The association has been asking the government to restore the conditions of service agreed upon with the government 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.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com
