The National Labour Commission (NLC) has dragged the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Ministry of Education (MoE) to court.
The Commission took this step, in reaction to the decision by the GES and the MoE to defy its orders to ensure payment of online allowances to staff of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya in the Eastern Region, who are members of University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG).
Early this year, aggrieved lecturers at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development withdrew their services. The lecturers are demanding payment of capitation online teaching allowance which has been in arears over a year.
The NLC summoned the lecturers who are members of UTAG, as well as officials of the ministries of Education and Finance.
After deliberation, the Commission queried the representatives of Finance and Education ministries for defying its 2023 ruling to pay the allowance to the disgruntled lecturers.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr Ofosu Asamoah said the suit is to ensure that government settles the arrears to the lecturers.
“The respondents were here, and we asked have you complied with the directive? They said no, so we have taken them to court, the law states that we should go to court to seek enforcement that is what the Commission has done,” Mr Asamoah explained.
He added, “they have to go court to explain to the court why they have not complied with the directive and if their explanation is tenable the court will decide”.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved lecturers have resumed work.
By Daniel Opoku