Members of the Technical University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (TUTAG) yesterday began a nationwide strike action in demand for better conditions of service and payment of arrears.
The move comes despite a scheduled meeting with the National Labour Commission (NLC) on Wednesday to discuss the issue of their research arrears and other conditions of service, which TUTAG says, have been pending for far too long.
The commission had earlier called for the suspension of the industrial action at the instance of the meeting, but members of TUTAG failed to obey the NLC’s order after their National President, Dr. Michael Brigandi Akurugu served notice of the partial strike action last Friday.
He said that members of TUTAG had been tasked not to teach, invigilate, mark examination papers and/or submit results and attend meetings of any of the Technical Universities.
Dr. Akurugu stated that members had been advised to supervise project work, research, and community service in consideration of students, pending their appearance before the NLC.
“Having been converted to Technical Universities, we followed up for government to just give us the existing university conditions of service while we go through renegotiation, but government has failed to address this,” he explained to Joy News last Sunday, and added that a decision would be taken as to whether to call off the strike or not after the Association’s meeting with NLC.
“If we meet the Labour Commission and there are documents suggesting that our research arrears which have been pending for far too long, will be paid and other conditions of service will be provided in the shortest possible time, based on that, Congress will decide as to whether the strike will continue or it will be suspended,” he stated.
“In fact, calling on a strike or calling off a strike is not as easy as switching on an electricity bulb. It’s a whole process,” Dr. Akurugu posited and added that claims that COVID-19 had impacted the economy were no longer justifiable to deny TUTAG members of their economic rights.
“Government should realise that just as our colleagues in the other universities are given what is due them, in the face of the pandemic, TUTAG members should be treated the same,” he added.
By Ernest Kofi Adu