UTAG strike: We’ll have series of protests if nothing positive happens this week – USAG
The University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) says it will organise a series of demonstrations if university lecturers do not call off their strike this week.
According to the Association, government’s handling of the industrial action by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) does not give hope of any immediate resolution.
UTAG has been on strike for more than three weeks over its conditions of service.
But with public universities nearing a total shutdown, both UTAG and government are entrenched in their positions – a resolution seems far away.
President of USAG, Dr Phillip Armah, says the seeming lack of communication from university authorities and the government over the strike is worrying as the situation has compelled many students to go home.
“If we do not hear anything positive this week, if it has to take us to organised series of protests in our campuses, we wouldn’t shy away from that. Whoever needs to listen has to listen. We have paid fees, and we demand to be taught.”
“We cannot spend three weeks in school, and all that we do is to eat, sleep, and do nothing. A lot of our students have left, we don’t have any communication from anybody. So students are left stranded, and their frustration keeps day in, day out,” he lamented.
Meanwhile, some students have been speaking to JoyNews and are frustrated about the developments.
“My dad has been calling me to go back home because, over the news, he has been hearing that lecturers are not back and I’m spending too much money. So probably, this week by Friday, I should be leaving for home.”
“I went home over the weekend, and that is what I have been doing for the past two weeks because I’ve realised that nothing is being done on campus. As it stands now, I don’t know when UTAG will call off their strike, so I think I will have to stay home until the strike is called off,” some students shared.
Source: Ghana News
