UTAG to challenge injunction against strike in court today

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has said it will be going to court to challenge the interlocutory injunction secured by the National Labour Commission against their indefinite strike.

The lecturers, a week ago, withdrew their services over their conditions of service.

This has led to the postponement of exams in some public universities.

The NLC, on Friday, 6 August 2021 secured an injunction on the strike and invited the lecturers for a meeting scheduled for August 11.

The court said upon reading the affidavits of Mr Ofosu Asamoah, the Executive Secretary of the NLC, filed on 5 August 2021 in support of the ex parte motion for an order of interlocutory injunction and upon hearing the submission of Yehoda Quartey, holding brief for Afiba Amihere, counsel for and on behalf of the applicant, “it is hereby ordered that the respondent [UTAG] by itself, its executives, officers, members, agents, servants, etc., are restrained from continuing with the current industrial action” and “are to comply with the directive of the NLC dated 2 August 2021”.





Taking the urgency of the matter into account, the court said “in addition to personal service of the order on the respondent, it is also to be served on the respondent by substituted service through the electronic media – radio, TV and other current electronic means”.

“It is, hereby, further ordered that this injunction is for 10 days and upon its expiration, the applicant is to come back on notice”, the order, given by the high court of justice, Labour Court 1, on Friday, 6 August 2021 and signed by Edem Erica Agbogbli, Deputy Registrar, noted.

But UTAG in a fresh statement said it has reached a general consensus to defy the injunction and will remain on strike till the government puts some enhanced and progressive proposals on the table.

Speaking to class news National President of UTAG, Prof Charles Marfo said: “their move was illegal so we are also going to court [to challenge the injunction…] the NLC has the power to make sure labour is not cheated and they did not do that but they’ve taken us to court. How can you injunct somebody and still invite the person to a meeting it does not make legal sense…”