KNUST: Teacher unions restore suspended services

Labour unions at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), including the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), have restored suspended services.

The Union suspended their services in the wake of a bitter conflict with government over the composition of a new Governing Council for the university.

The conflict started over disagreements over which representatives from the Unions should constitute a new Council that will replace an interim council put in place following demonstrations and destruction of properties at the Kumasi-based university.

Students had been protesting what they say were a systematic breach of their rights as students. They vandalised vehicles and destroyed property estimated at GHS1.6 million.

While government wanted the Unions to be represented by new faces on the new Council, the unions insisted that they will maintain their old representatives.

However, in a joint press release by University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), Senior Staff Association (SSA) and the Teachers and Education Workers Union (TEWU), the Unions stated that “all services suspended on the Campuses of KNUST are restored with immediate effect.”

The University is set to reopen on Friday, November 16, after the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who is the Chancellor of the university, resolved the standoff between the unions and the government.

Joy News understands that all old members of the Unions are still part of the new Governing Council.

Only a few new representatives from the government have been added.

“We thank government, in particular, for the show of level-headedness and enormous magnanimity in the resolution of the impasse which has led to the eventual restoration of the KNUST Council and also paved the way for the immediate resumption of normal academic work at the University,” the unions said in the joint statement.

Academic work at the university begins on Monday, November 19.

Read the full statement below

JOINT PRESS RELEASE BY UTAG, GAUA, SSA AND TEWU (KNUST)

We, the various labour bodies at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi; i.e. UTAG, GAUA, TEWU, SSA and all others, wish to express our profound gratitude to all stakeholders who were involved in the resolution processes that have restored normalcy on campus.

We thank Government, in particular, for the show of level-headedness and enormous magnanimity in the resolution of the impasse which has led to the eventual restoration of the KNUST Council and also paved the way for the immediate resumption of normal academic work at the University.

We also wish to profusely thank the Asantehene, Chancellor of the University, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, for his wise counsel and great interventions which have led to the resolution of the impasse and shortened the period of uncertainty and trepidation.

The Media cannot be forgotten; we appreciate your clear and elaborate reportage of the concerns of the various labour bodies at KNUST to the Public.

By this Joint Press Release, we also take the opportunity to announce that all services suspended on the Campuses of KNUST are restored with immediate effect.

We wholeheartedly welcome all students back to campus.

Thank you,

Signed:

Prof Eric Forkuo, President of UTAG-KNUST

Mr Kwame Yeboah, President of GAUA-KNUST

Mr George Ansong, President of SSA-KNUST

Mr. Charles Arthur, President of TEWU-KNUST

 

source: Myjoyonline