Accra (Greater Accra), 13th May ?99 ?

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) on Wednesday urged the government to take steps to rectify all nagging problems on the labour front.

It also urged the government and the Teachers and Educational Worker's Union (TEWU) to resolve their differences for the immediate restoration of the academic calendar.

The call was made at a press conference in Accra organised by NUGS to throw light on the effects of the strike actions by TEWU and the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSSAG) on students.

Mr Joseph Adongo, President of NUGS, said that signals showing that the situation is receiving attention should be sustained otherwise the students would be compelled "to join Parliament at its meeting to present our plight to the Speaker.

"We passionately appeal to TEWU to consider the plight of students. In the same vein we expect government to show more seriousness and commitment to the problem at hand."

Mr Adongo said NUGS does not think the solution lies in the formation of more committees, adding that the important thing is that both partners must talk in the true spirit of wanting the problem solved.

He noted that this is the second major disruption of academic work of all the universities in just about four years.

"More pathetic is the case of final year students, most of whom have already spent five years pursuing a four-year course... Most of such students are unable to work on their thesis due to the closure of our libraries and laboratories?

"We passionately appeal to TEWU to consider the plight of students, especially final year and foreign students."