We suspended strike because of our students - UTAG

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) says they suspended their strike action because of their students and not because of government.

The Association suspended their two weeks strike action on Tuesday following a meeting between the leadership of the Association, representatives of the Ministries of Education, Finance and Economic Planning, Employment and Social Welfare among others.

However, speaking in an interview on Peace FM, Dr. Anthony Simmons, President of the Association indicated that they did not call off their strike action because of what came out of the meeting they held with government but pleas from the National Union of Graduate Students (NUGS) and the university heads as well as the effect the strike action will have on the students.

“Had it been what government said following the meeting, we would not have suspended the strike action. A lot of people approached us especially executives of NUGS and upon deliberation we resolved that we don’t want to distort the academic calendar”, he said.

He indicated that within 21 days of their strike action, the school would have been closed down had they not rescinded their decision to continue with the strike action; ‘but we didn’t want that to happen because it will affect the students who are supposed to be writing their examination.

“…we were already within 14 days; 7 more days for the university to be closed down and so we (executives of UTAG) had a meeting and decided to suspend our strike action…already their (students) examination period have been distorted because they should have started writing exams already and so we decided to go back.

Had it not been the students and the academic calendar that will be distorted, I don’t think we would have suspended the strike action,” Dr Simmons added.

He was however hopeful that government will work on the agreed schedule so that they will not have to go back to their strike action.