The Labour Court Division 1 of the Accra High Court has adjourned the National Labour Commission (NLC) and University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) case to Tuesday, February 15, 2022.
The court, presided by His Lordship Frank Rockson Aboadwe asked both parties to further engage out of court.
Lawyer of UTAG, Kwesi Keli-Deletaa, speaking to the media disclosed that UTAG is willing to engage NLC if the appropriate procedure is used by the commission.
“By law, NLC has the jurisdiction over the labor market, and if the proper procedure is done we [UTAG] have no difficulty at all appearing before NLC,” he said.
UTAG, from January 10, 2022, embarked on an industrial action calling off all teaching and related activities until further notice to press home their demand for better conditions of service.
On 13th January 2022, the NLC declared the UTAG strike as illegal as it did not follow due processes prescribed Sub Part II of Act 651 on the settlement of industrial dispute.
However, UTAG refused to adhere to the directive after the 15 members of the association resolved to continue the strike.
Later, the NLC, on 26th January 2022, filed an application for interlocutory injunction praying the court to compel UTAG to call off its strike.
Both parties appeared before the Labour Court 1 Division of the High Court on Thursday, February 3, 2022, and were told to settle their labor tussle out of court and report back on Thursday, February 10, 2022.
The strike by UTAG as the fifth-week ends has disrupted academic activities in various public universities across the country as academic activities have been brought to a halt.
UTAG and NLC have been in legal banter for some weeks now after UTAG refused to adhere to NLC’s directive to call off the strike which started on January 10, 2022, due to the poor condition of services.
