TUTAG ignores gov’t appeals, vows to continue strike till demands are met
The Technical University Teacher’s Association of Ghana (TUTAG) has ignored the Ministry of Education’s calls for reason amid its strike over unpaid allowances and demands for improved conditions of services.
The Education Ministry appealed to TUTAG after it declared the strike on Monday saying its members had been provided with every other necessary service.
According to the Association, the staff of the various technical universities are yet to receive the emoluments for university lecturers since the upgrading of eight polytechnics to universities.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, Vincent Ekow Assafuah said the National Commission for Tertiary Education (NCTE) has been able to migrate all TUTAG members onto the university payroll and also place them on “appropriate salaries.”
“Again we have also paid their book and research allowances as the rate that the university lecturer is supposed to get. So the only outstanding challenge we have with TUTAG is some allowances that are supposed to be paid them and the delay is due to the fact that fair wages and salaries commission will have to determine the appropriate ways to pay them.”
However, TUTAG President, Dr. Solomon Keelson, disagreed with the Ministry of Education.
He insisted that no plan to address their grievances had been agreed upon.
“All the essentials are what? I told you of the basic pay which had no difference. I’ve also told you of the interim premium which has been done and I am telling you that the structure is not about interim premium. So if he says all has been done and only left with the allowances, is he saying that they have done it?” he asked.
“Let’s take it this way. You are going to migrate somebody and you have a road map going. We have not met to discuss what we are going to do. Remember that this thing started some time ago and for that matter, everybody involved knows what to do and so if it is now that fair wages is going to look for allowances to come and pay, then we are sorry. When will they look at that?” he stated.
The association further said the strike will still continue till something positive comes out from a scheduled meeting on Thursday with the Deputy Minister of Employment, Bright Wireko-Brobby.