EDUCATION
TUTAG calls off nationwide strike
The Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) has called off its nationwide strike after the National Labour Commission (NLC) secured an interim injunction on the industrial action.
The association in a statement said its decision to call off the strike was a “demonstration of good faith which must be reciprocated by all stakeholders.”
“We are calling off the strike based on the understanding that payment of allowances shall not fall short of the existing rates paid to other public universities.”
But it added that it was disappointed in how the “NLC refused to go to court to enforce their 28 October 2019 ruling against the government but found it expedient to go to court for enforcement against TUTAG on its 8 January 2020 ruling.”
TUTAG declared an indefinite strike on January 6, 2020, in protest of the non-payment of allowances due its members following the conversion of polytechnics to technical universities.
The Technical Universities Administrators Association of Ghana (TUAAG) also joined the strike demanding full benefits of migration onto the public universities’ salary structure
TUTAG also highlighted concerns with book and research allowance arrears and issues with the non-basic salary allowance for public university lecturers.
The association was upset that the government did not comply with a ruling by the NLC to ensure that members of the association started receiving allowances due them from December 2019, January 2020 and February 2020.
Before the commission went to court, it met with TUTAG, the Ministries of Finance, Education, Employment and Labour Relations, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Controller and Accountant‘s General’s Department and assured that the government would be working to migrate qualified TUTAG members to the single spine pay structure and pay them their allowances by January 29.
Now the association says it shall monitor to ensure that the government “abides by the terms of both the 28th October 2019 and 8 January 2020 rulings.”
- That six (6) out of the eight (8) Technical Universities who submitted their data to the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) will be paid their salaries together with the allowances 29th January 2020.
- That the two technical Universities (Sunyani and Tamale) who are yet to submit their data should do so latest by 17th January 2020 to enable the government to pay their salaries and allowances at the end of February 2020.
- The Commission also directs that with this intervention, the TUTAG shall call off their strike with immediate effect and return to work.
- The parties are strongly advised to continue negotiation on the outstanding issues in good faith.
