The Bolgatanga Technical University branch of the Technical University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (TUTAG) and the Technical University Senior Administrators’ Association of Ghana (TUSAAG) have announced the suspension of their strike action.
The strike was launched on 25th August in protest against the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Samuel Erasmus Alnaa who they say was trying to vary portions of their conditions of service as approved by the Ministry of Finance. Members of the two unions had also withdrawn their services claiming that online teaching allowances have not been paid over a period of time.
Richard Atiah, the Bolgatanga Technical University’s chapter chairman of TUSAAG said after intense negotiations with the governing council and management of the university on Tuesday, August 29th, 2023, an agreement was reached, leading to the suspension of the strike.
“We discussed the issue at length and at the end of the day, the Vice Chancellor agreed that he will now pay the end-of-service benefits as we were demanding. And that, he will also pay some of the online allowance, though he could not pay all. He will pay one month and a staggered payment for some period of time”
He said a Memorandum of Agreement was entered after members of TUTAG and TUSAAG held separate meetings on Thursday 31st August 2023 “and after some deliberations, suspended the strike”
Per the agreement, Mr. Atiah said the VC of the Bolgatanga Technical University is expected to send a letter to the National Labour Commission of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission stating that he has now agreed to pay the end-of-service benefits without ambiguity.
He added that the letter to the NLC and the GTE should be processed and sent by the close of the day, 4th August 2023. The BTU chapter chairman of TUSAAG indicated a committee was constituted to work on the detailed document on how the end-of-service benefit would be paid.
“And that document should be approved by the governing council, this Friday 8th of September. And if that is done, we can now call off the strike completely. If by the 8th the document is not approved, we will meet our members again and then we will be on the way forward”, he stated.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Ghana
