Court directs NLC, UTAG to settle matter out of court

A High Court in Accra (Labour Division) has asked the leadership of the National Labour Commission (NLC) and University Teachers Association (UTAG) to settle impasse on industrial action out of court.

The court presided over by Justice Frank Rockson Aboadwe gave the parties up to February 10, this year, to report back to the court.

The NLC had dragged UTAG to court following the Association’s refusal to comply with directives to call off its strike.

When the matter was called in court, Eva Amihere, who represented the NLC, said she wanted to move two applications before the court.

The first, a motion for the enforcement of the directives issued by NLC on January 13, 2022, for UTAG to return to the lecture halls so teaching could commence.

The second motion is an interlocutory injunction to restrain UTAG from continuing with the strike.

However, the presiding judge Justice Justice Aboadwe requested to meet the party in chambers.

When the parties returned from chambers after 30-minutes, lawyers in the case parted ways.

Kwesi Keli-Delataa, UTAG’s counsel, told the media that they had agreed to settle the matter and report back to the court on February 10, this year.

According to counsel if the parties were unable to settle the matter, they would come back to the court.

UTAG, on Monday, January 10, 2022, embarked on an industrial action over “worsening” conditions of service.

The NLC after hearing the case on Thursday, January 13, 2022, ruled that the strike be called off because it was illegal and did not follow due process.

UTAG, however, continued the industrial action despite NLC’s directive to call it off.

The NLC then sued the Association for disregarding its directive.

The suit was to secure an interlocutory injunction to compel the lecturers to return to work.

Source: GNA