The Technical University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (TUTAG) has thrown its weight behind the ongoing strike action by the Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) Chapter of TUTAG.

On Friday, August 25, Bolga TUTAG and Technical University Senior Administrators’ Association of Ghana (TUSAAG) announced the industrial action to demand better conditions of service.

In a press statement jointly signed by executives of TUTAG and TUSAAG, the staff had explained that the Vice Chancellor is hiding behind claims of ambiguity in the “Technical Universities Act (2016) Act 922 as Amended” to shortchange them.

“We strongly reject our VC’s absurd interpretation of our conditions of service where he seeks to departmentalise the payment of our retirement benefits for our retirees by paying only three months salary for the number of years served under the polytechnic and then one month salary for every year served effective only after 2031,” the statement stressed.

The group insisted that “any TUTAG or TUSAAG member who served for continuous 10 years under the erstwhile polytechnic system automatically qualifies as an accrued right to enjoy this retirement benefit as pertains in other technical universities”.

Backing this stance, TUTAG in a statement signed and issued by its General Secretary, Dr Abubakari Zakari in Accra on Monday said "any attempt to victimise members of the above Chapter, especially the leadership, will incur the displeasure of the entire membership of the union across the length and breadth of the country.”

TUTAG added that, the Act establishing Technical Universities in Ghana clearly acknowledged the continuous service of staff of the then polytechnics who smoothly went through transition processes as required by law to becoming staff of the newly established Technical Universities.

“It is therefore mind-boggling and absurd for any individual or group of individuals, who by virtue of accrued rights, are currently occupying positions of authority in the Technical Universities, to attempt to vary the conditions of service of staff of the universities.”

Read the full statement: