NLC Orders Gov�t To Meet UTAG Over Book & Research Allowance

The National Labor Commission has faulted Government for unilaterally scrapping the payment of book and research allowance paid to University lecturers to be replaced with a Research and Innovation Fund.

The NLC has thus directed the University Teachers Association of Ghana, to negotiate with government over their concerns with unpaid book and research allowance.

The directive was given after the commission met with UTAG, the education Ministry and other stakeholders.

University teachers had threatened to lay down their tools over unpaid allowances for 2013/2014 academic year.

The Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana, POTAG, has raised similar concerns and issued a seven-day ultimatum to pay the allowance or face their wrath.

UTAG�s President, Dr. Samuel Ofori Bekoe told Ultimate Radio they have up to 14th of May 2014, to report back to the NLC after meeting Government.

�The Minister of Education was present; so after we presented our case, she was asked to respond our claims, and she virtually accepted whatever we said but she thought that the money wasn�t enough so the government was trying to establish the Research Fund in order to give us something better. But we said that is not the case. Our concern is about how the Fund is going to operate which is quite difference from the allowance that is given.

Eventually the NLC decided and gave a directive that we were right in saying that something that has been negotiated for no one party can single-handedly change conditions of those negotiations without bringing it to the negotiation table. So we have been directed to go into negotiation with the government.

Dr. Samuel Ofori Bekoe added that the Association would be asking for an increase in the allowance at its meeting with the Government.

Source: Ultimate Radio