UTAG Raises Red Flag

Dr. Samuel Kwasi Asiedu-Addo (2nd left), explaining issues to the media. With him are some executives of UTAG.
Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday June 22, 2011.
Concerns raised by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) in 2010 over the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) are resurfacing after the teachers claimed they were being shortchanged under the policy.

Just as the public thought all was going well with the implementation of the SSSS as promised by the government, UTAG has once again come out strongly to state their case by accusing the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) of deliberately thwarting their effort towards smooth migration onto the SSSS.

At a news conference organized by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of UTAG in Accra yesterday, its National President Dr. Samuel Kwasi Asiedu-Addo said “we would like to express our displeasure with what appears to be the FWSC’s deliberate attempt to stifle government’s efforts with particular reference to the migration of the academic senior members onto the SSSS.”

Making their feelings known, the UTAG President said since the FWSC replaced the Standing Joint Negotiating Committee (SJNC) as their negotiator of salaries, the commission has refused to create a platform and opportunity for negotiations.

He said since 2009, UTAG has written several letters to the FWSC on salary negotiations and on the upward adjustment of the Book and Research Allowances of senior members but the commission has consistently failed to respond to the letters.

Dr. Asiedu-Addo said the FWSC has failed to furnish UTAG with a completed job re-evaluation report in spite of several requests made to the commission saying “we wish to emphasize that the report is necessary for study by UTAG prior to any discussion and negotiation with the FWSC”.

“The continual delay on the part of the FWSC to open negotiations towards the migration of academic senior members of the nation’s universities onto the SSSS is, in the opinion of UTAG, a clear attestation to the existence of problems and difficulties associated with the migration, which need to be carefully addressed by both parties,” he said.

He said for instance that the commission promised to select members of the various unions and associations to undertake a study tour of countries where the Single Spine Salary Policy is being implemented but that was never done and added that all the issues put together was an affront to the association.

As a result, the UTAG President said the association is calling on the commission to make available the re-evaluation report to them, set a definite date for negotiations to begin and also respect UTAG by responding to its letters.

Dr. Asiedu-Addo also said UTAG has not mandated any third party to negotiate on its behalf with the commission on their conditions of service and added that as long as the association has no objection to being migrated onto the SSSS it will not allow anybody to rush them onto it.

During questions and answers Dr. EM Wilmot, Vice President of UTAG said the FWSC was aware that the association’s case is different from other categories of workers but was being stubborn in dealing with them.

“Officially we were told by July we will be migrated onto the SSSS. We are in June and we have not even started negotiations. The FWSC needs to take us seriously and start negotiating with us.”

Dr. Kodzo Gavua, another executive of UTAG said the FWSC was not being transparent when dealing with the association’s concerns towards the migration onto the SSSS.