Benjamin Arthur, Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has described the decision of the University Teachers Association and the Technical University Teachers Association to walk away from negotiations as a big surprise.
He said though such a move was expected during negotiations, the timing for the action when parties had made huge progress towards finalising agreements was unfortunate.
Mr Aurthur said this after the January 10, walkout staged by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) during an engagement with the FSWC.
The Unions reportedly cited lackadaisical approach, contempt, and lack of good faith on the part of the Commission concerning better conditions of service of tertiary teachers.
However, the Chief Executive in an interview said walking out was surprising because negotiations were far advanced and there were two key outstanding issues to be addressed.
The issues, he mentioned, were demand for tax waiver when procuring vehicles for personal and official use and the setting of market premiums.
“But you and I know that it is only Parliament that is able to give these waivers and so we encouraged them that if that it is your demand, go through the appropriate channel, but they insisted that we have to keep it as part of the compensation items for discussion,” he said.
He also maintained that the negotiation on Market Premiums was non-negotiable due to the government white paper on the guidelines for determination of the market premium published in April 2013.
“Market premiums are premiums that are not for negotiation. We must be very frank. It is a mechanism for the employer to use to attract and retain critical skill,” he said.
He noted that the walkout was likely to affect other negotiations concurrently taking place relating to other non-monetary conditions of service that was being facilitated by the FWSC between management of the respective institutions and the Unions.
“We also agreed to a meeting (between management and Unions) on January 26, 2024, which is yet to take place. So, when you walk out of the meeting, are you inferring that all these meetings are not necessary.
“There is also a written agreement for January 31 for us to meet their management and the union to consider Internally Generated Funds allowances which we signed a communique on,” he said.
He urged the Unions to consider dialogue as the way forward and asked them to consider signing agreements that had already been concluded while they negotiated other conditions of service.
Doing so, he said, would allow members of the Unions to start enjoying the benefits early since it was the beginning of the year.
“The notion that it is only when you are agitated that you get what you want should be discarded.
“I have always said that the key people to go on strike should not be lecturers for one obvious reason. They are a special group of people indeed. The nature of their work is such that, even when you go on strike and you come back, the work is piled up for you.”
GNA
