The Technical University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (TUTAG) has given the government a 10-day ultimatum to respect all outstanding commitment to the association else its members will embark on strike action .
It said it had observed with grave concern, the government’s unmitigated negligence for the decisions of the National Labour Commission Commission (NLC) and a hesitance to implement decisions against the government.
It said its Codified Conditions Administration (CoS) for individuals had been exceptional startingj around 2016
In June 2021, the NLC decided among others that: “Government ought to keep on drawing in the association on the survey of the terminated conditions of service for TUTAG.”
Likewise in one more ruling on September 2, 2022, the Commission coordinated as follows: “That the powerful date of payment of the Internally generated fund (IGF) part of the Allowance(s) ought to be August 2021 as arranged and concurred by the parties .
“That the execution date ought to be January, 2023. That the Minister of Finance (MoF) is thusly coordinated to guarantee payment in January, 2023 and ought to likewise guarantee that it gives the essential letters to the different University Councils within reasonable time to make budgetary provisions in the budget to deal with the payments on the effective date,” it said.
Statement
In a statement jointly issued and signed by its President , Surv. Prof. Dr.- Ing. Collins Ameyaw and Secretary, Abubakari Zakari (PhD), it expressed resulting to these ruling , TUTAG had gotten through a few processes expected to have culminated into the Finance Ministry issuing an authorisation letter to the universities to effect payments.
“Sadly, in spite of the various subsequent follow-ups, the MoF has not shown any obligation to give the letter to the Universities. Constantly, TUTAG members have been denied their fitting advantages within the extent of the audited Internally Generated Fund (IGF-related) states of administration (CoS),” the assertion said.
“It is likewise essential to take note of that the Specialized Colleges (TUs) have wrapped up setting up their 2023 financial plans and same submitted to the Ghana Tertiary Instruction Commission (GTEC). The latency being shown by the MoF in declining to approve Chambers of TUs, as coordinated by the NLC, to financial plan for and pay these recompenses is making disquiet on different grounds of TUs,” it said.
The statement said to prevent the unforeseen, TUTAG kept in touch with the NLC on October 20, 2022 imploring the Commission to conjure its own powers by upholding the orders previously mentioned according to area 172 of the Work Act 2003, Act 651.
It said, nonetheless, that the Commission seems hesitant in upholding its own decision, “a stance we are profoundly disappointed with.”
VCs
The affiliation likewise pointed blaming fingers at the Bad habit Chancellors for Specialized Colleges (VCTU-G) with regards to this issue. It said it has picked knowledge which proposes that the VCTU-G is in secondary passage discussions with some administration organizations to concede the successful date of the arranged IGF-related States of Administration to January 1, 2023, rather than August 2021.
“We wish to express that the activity by the VCTU-G adds up to uncalled for work practice, particularly when we have finished up dealings on the stipends being referred to.
We wish to bring to the consideration of the VCTU-G that their impedance with the interaction has unduly postponed the issuance of the fundamental letters by the Service of Money, which will give impact to the execution of the arranged understanding/stipends. We, accordingly, encourage the VCTU-G to consequently, halt from any such obstruction in crafted by TUTAG to guarantee modern agreement on the grounds of the TUs,” it added.
Reiteration of issues
Raising a reiteration of worries, TUTAG said one more issue worth considering is thej one-sided variety of the CoS of staff of colleges in Ghana.
TUTAG wishes to enlist its most elevated disappointment against the one-sided variety of the assurance or calculation of the off-grounds and vehicle upkeep recompenses,” it said.
The stement said TUTAG had transparently upheld the continuous strike activity left on by UTAG and three other trade guilds and would have joined however understandably.
“We wish to emphasize our prior position that the choice by the public authority to singularly change our CoS is unlawful and should be turned around with quick impact,” it added.
Among different issues raised were the difficulties with the finance framework.
TUTAG said it had officially kept in touch with the Regulator and Bookkeeper General’s Area of expertise (CAGD) through the Ghana Tertiary Schooling Commission (GTEC), which is right now dealing with the finance of TUs, to surrender or return the administration of the finance framework to the different Specialized Colleges as well as the defer in the installment of book and examination stipends.