The General Secretary of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG-KNUST), Dr Eric Abavari, says that lecturers of the university will stop teaching if the general membership of UTAG votes against the association’s National Executive Committee’s decision to suspend their industrial action.
UTAG’s leadership earlier decided to temporarily suspend the union’s industrial action in order to begin negotiation with the government.
UTAG, in a press release, signed by the National President, Prof. Solomon Nunoo, and National Secretary, Dr Asare Asante-Annor on Monday, February 21, 2022, indicated that the suspension of the strike is up to Friday, March 4, 2022.
Following this, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology announced that lectures for the 2021/2022 academic year will begin on Thursday, February 24, 2022.
However speaking to UniversNews, Dr Abavari said that should the members of UTAG reject the decision of the leadership to suspend the strike, KNUST lecturers will have to stop teaching.
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“UTAG-KNUST is aware of management asking lecturers and students to resume classes and that is the result of the National Executive Committee meeting that listed the temporary suspension of teaching and related activities of UTAG.
“It is within the agreed processes of UTAG that we have temporarily suspended the withdrawal of teaching and related activities pending ratification by the general membership of UTAG. So if UTAG members go against it, so be it otherwise the status quo will remain,” he said.
Dr Abavari also added that it is right for the management of the university to also kick-start processes to resume the academic calendar following the suspension of the strike.
He, however, stated that should the members of UTAG reject the National Executive Committee’s decision, whatever management of the university has started will have to be put on hold again.
“Management must also kick-start its processes of managing the school and so both actors should be doing it side by side but if it happens that UTAG goes against the decision of the NEC then definitely the strike will resume and whatever management has started will certainly be suspended again.”
Per the constitution of UTAG, the general membership has a maximum of five days to vote for or against the leadership’s decision to temporarily suspend their industrial action.
Dr Abavari stated that by Monday, February 28, 2022, the general membership of UTAG should have arrived at a decision.