The President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana, (UTAG) has warned the government that unless their conditions of service are improved they will not call off their indefinite strike.
Speaking on the Morning Starr on Monday, Professor Charles Marfo said the salaries of lecturers in public universities across the country have dwindled over the years with the government failing to restore them to what they agreed with the government in 2012.
The 2012 conditions of service pegged the Basic plus Market Premium of a lecturer at $2,084.42.
According to Professor Marfo, the current arrangement has reduced its members’ basic premiums to $997.84.
He added that the entry-level salary of a lecturer is less than GHC2000 while a professor earns less than GHC5000 monthly.
He also revealed that the latest strike action was triggered by the increment of salaries for Article 71 Officeholders who were already being paid more than double what lecturers are paid.
UTAG on Monday, August 2, began an indefinite strike from today. 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.