IMPASSE BETWEEN THE FAIR WAGES AND SALARIES COMMISSION AND UTAG/TUTAG
The Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) Ing. Benjamin Arthur has indicated that the fallout in the meeting between the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) and FWSC came as a surprise given the overtures extended to them by Government.
Ing. Benjamin Arthur made these assertions on the 11th of January 2024, in response to the impasse between the Commission and the two parties regarding Market Premium allowance, which is not a negotiated item and only meant for critical skills and jobs that are in short supply within the labour
market.
Ing. Arthur further asserted that while strike actions are within the constitutional rights of every Labour Union, it is in the spirit of good faith guiding labour negotiations that a union cannot embark on a strike action when an item is not tabled for negotiation, particularly when parties have made huge progress towards finalizing an agreement.
A situation he said was unfortunate, and therefore, called for continuous dialogue and consensus building from the membership of UTAG and TUTAG in getting finality over their Conditions of Service tabled for negotiations this year. He added that, the resumption of negotiation would be mutually beneficial to the cause of the two parties.
According to him, “the Market Premium [allowance] shall not be based on service classifications, occupational groups or jobs classified as essential Services as specified under section 175 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) and as stated in regulation 20 of the Labour Regulations, 2007 (LL. 1833)” but “Market Premium shall be determined by the Government and shall not be subject to negotiations”. Ing. Arthur added that “the Market Premium shall be payable to job holders performing the core functions of the job requiring the application of the scarce skills and not in any other role”
Meanwhile, the Unions reportedly cited lackadaisical approach, contempt, and lack of good faith on the part of the government side on their conditions of service.
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