Members of the Technical University Senior Administrators Association of Ghana (TUSAAG) have called off their strike days after the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) did same.
The decision was reached after the leadership of the association met the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) on Wednesday for negotiations towards resolving their grievances.
In a statement issued and signed by TUSAAG’s National President, Edem K. Honu, the administrators said they will return to work on Monday, November 4, 2019.
“Based on the implementation clarification and agreement with Government through the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, FWSC, and based again on the love we have for the smooth running of the Technical Universities, TUSAAG wishes to suspend its strike action with effect from Monday, 4th November, 2019.”
“We therefore call on the members of TUSAAG on our various Technical University campuses to resume their normal duties from Monday, 4th November, 2019 while the National Executives monitor the implementation of the agreement with the Government”, portions of the statement added.
Moments after TUTAG announced its indefinite strike, administrators of the Technical Universities also followed suit.
They said their decision was premised on the failure of the government to address their concerns – key among these was their base pay in line with their new status as university staff and not polytechnic staff.
According to them, the government is deliberately dragging its feet in migrating them onto the public universities’ salary structure, noting that it is treating “Technical Universities as second fiddle within the public universities system.”
Here is the full release announcing the suspension
Members of the Technical University Senior Administrators Association of Ghana (TUSAAG) withdrew their services from 21st October, 2019 in demand to:
i. be involved and engaged by Government and its agencies in the ongoing processes to migrate Senior Members of Technical Universities onto the Public Universities Salaries Structure, andii. be fully migrated onto the Public Universities Salaries Structure and applicable Conditions of Service of staff of the Public Universities in Ghana.
2. The Leadership of TUSAAG was subsequently invited by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to a meeting on Wednesday, 30th October, 2019 to discuss the concerns stated above. The meeting went well between both parties.
3. A Communique was later signed by the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Honourable Ignatius Baffour Awuah (MP) and Chief Executive Officer of the FWSC, Dr. Edward Kwapong for and on behalf of Government, and the National President of TUSAAG, Mr. Edem K. Honu and Press Secretary of TUSAAG, Mr. Isaac S. Meyir for and on behalf of TUSAAG as follows:
a) that members of TUSAAG are eligible for allowances that their teaching counterparts, Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) are entitled to under the conditions spelt out in the Ruling of the National Labour Commission (NLC) dated 28th October, 2019,
b) that the rates payable shall be maintained at the existing relativities as applicable in the public universities
c) that TUSAAG shall call off the strike with immediate effect.
4. Prior to TUSAAG meeting with FWSC, Vice-Chancellors of Technical Universities of Ghana (VCTUG) and Chairmen of Governing Council of Technical Universities met with the National Executive Committee (NEC) of TUSAAG and appealed with TUSAAG to call off its strike. We wish to express our profound gratitude to VCTUG, the Council Chairmen, the media and well-wishers who supported our course.
5. Based on the implementation clarification and agreement with Government through the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, FWSC, and based again on the love we have for the smooth running of the Technical Universities, TUSAAG wishes to suspend its strike action with effect from Monday, 4th November, 2019.
6. We therefore call on the members of TUSAAG on our various Technical University campuses to resume their normal duties from Monday, 4th November, 2019 while the National Executives monitor the implementation of the agreement with the Government.
