“Students are the only bargaining chips we have” – UTAG president says this is the best to strike

According to Professor Charles Marfo, although his association is aware that their withdrawal of service will affect students badly, they have been left with no other option but to embark on it.

He explained that meaningful strike action must threaten the employer, so endangering the fate of the students is the only way the government would be compelled to address their demands.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, August 7, professor Marfo said: “If our strike is not going to affect anybody, why would we want to go on strike? And so, I do understand, the students really do understand that they’re the only bargaining chips we have. And that is unfortunate, but we need to do that.”

He added that the time has come for the whole country to know about the bad conditions of service university teachers have endured over the years.

“When people want to suggest that you’re living well and you know yourself that things are not all that well, you can only let them know what the realities are. And that is exactly why we have government attempting to negotiate with him [Counsel for UTAG] on condition of service presented to them some four years ago,” professor Marfo said.

He indicated that unlike previously, this time around, UTAG will not give up until the demands of its members are met by the government.

“I want to believe that we have been overly magnanimous and that is why people have not shown any seriousness with the resolution of issues that concern UTAG.

“This time with the resolution from our people, they have given us the mandate to go all out to insist on what is due us and so with this mandate, we can only hope that government will begin to sit up and do the right thing,” he said.

The UTAG has been on strike since Monday, August 2, and is demanding restoration of a 2012 Single Spine Salary Structure agreement that would have seen entry-level lecturers earn the cedi equivalent of $2,084 monthly.