The Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), has given indications that it will soon suspend its three-week-old strike.
This follows a meeting with the National Labour Commission (NLC), the Ministry of Education, and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) on Monday.
TUTAG has been on a strike demanding a migration of its members to the pay grade of public university lecturers.
They had also been demanding an increase in the allowances they are given to the appropriate level.
The National Chairman of TUTAG, Dr. Solomon Keelson told Citi News that the government has assured them of migrating its members with the right conditions of service by the end of 2019.
Dr. Keelson said TUTAG will formally announce the suspension of its strike after meeting with its members but will also wait to see the Commission’s ruling put in effect.
“We are ready to suspend [the strike] and not to call off because the ruling has come and effect will be seen in December and for that matter I think we are okay with the ruling for now and so we will suspend the strike. We need to engage our people and let them know what ruling we have and how it is going to affect all of us then we will now suspend the strike. We hope that as soon as possible we call of the strike,” he said.
“What is due us is what has been pronounced,” he added.
Members of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) have been on strike since October 7, 2019, after emoluments due them were not released despite a directive from the Ministry of Finance to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department.
Technical Universities Administrators Association of Ghana (TUAAG), also joined in demanding full benefits of migration onto the public universities’ salary structure.
NLC ruling
The NLC in its ruling urged TUTAG to “immediately” call off their strike and “return to work.”
It further implored the government to pay TUTAG members who qualify, electricity, rent, maintenance, off-campus and security allowances at the end of December 2019.
The Commission, on the matter of entertainment and fuel allowances for the university lecturers, said those “shall be paid to deserving officeholders in December 2019.”
“The back pay of the above allowances, effective August 2019, shall be paid in January and February 2020,” the Commission further ruled, stressing that the parties go back to negotiate and “act in good faith at all times.”