National President of the Technical University Senior Administrators Association of Ghana (TUSAAG), Joseph Oti-Asrifi Mensah, has revealed that government and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission have not been forthcoming with solutions to address concerns of members.
According to him, every attempt to engage government has been fruitless, hence, the association’s decision to strike. He revealed that the communique issued on Friday, November 25, 2022, only indicates the state of affairs of members.
“Our last letter to GTEC was on the 21st of August 2021. There have been informal conversations and correspondence, but I guess it is time for us to demonstrate our decision on the fact that, government [and] GTEC have not been forthcoming in terms of giving us time to respond to these issues.”
Joseph Oti-Asrifi Mensah
Mr Mensah stated that the six items listed in TUSAAG’s last communique, are ones that have been on the table for discussion, with some dating as far back as November 2021. Citing the fuel allowances requested by the association, he noted that the restoration of the fuel allowances for faculty officers and entertainment allowance for faculty accountants, have been on the table for the last twelve months.
“The issue that has got to do with the disparities arising out of the levels of salaries of senior members on teaching at traditional universities have been on the table since April 2021. So, these are not items that are just popping up, they are items that we have engaged GTEC and government severally. We have had informal conversation with them, we have written to them, we have had discussions on the table with them.”
Joseph Oti-Asrifi Mensah
On November 25, 2022, the Technical University Senior Administrators Association of Ghana expressed its intention to commence a strike action from December 6, 2022, if the government does not address its condition of service concerns.
Contained in a statement, the union stated that the strike was a result of the government and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission’s “refusal” to address its grievances in a timely manner.
Demands by TUSAAG from government
The union noted that it would announce the withdrawal of services of all Senior Member Non-Teaching staff at all Technical Universities across the country, if its demands remain unresolved by December 5, 2022.
Among its demands, the Association requested for placement of Faculty Officers (at Technical Universities) on the appropriate level on the Allowances Schedule for office holders at Public Universities
Additionally, it called for restoration of fuel allowance for Faculty Officers at Technical Universities.
TUSAAG noted that it will be imperative for government to ensure the implementation of Entertainment Allowance for Faculty Accountants at Technical Universities and the appropriate placement (levels) of Senior Member Non-Teaching at the Technical Universities on the PUSSGS.
Commenting the implementation of the Negotiated Internally-Generated-Funds and associated Conditions of Service, TUSAAG expressed the need for it to be implemented likewise the Equitable implementation of the new fuel rates for Senior Members at Public Universities.
TUSAAG last went on strike on January 8, 2020 because of unpaid allowances. Currently, the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) is on indefinite strike action over concerns about conditions of service.
TUSAAG latest declaration to embark on industrial action is hinged on whether government will fail to honor the Codified Conditions of Service of members, which have been outstanding since 2016.
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