The Technical University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (TUTAG) has backed the Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) Chapter of TUTAG on its ongoing industrial action.
The BTU branch of TUTAG and the Technical University Senior Administrators’ Association of Ghana (TUSAAG) declared an industrial action on August 25, 2023.
The groups claim the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Samuel Alnaa, is seeking to vary portions of their retirement benefits against the approval by the Ministry of Finance. They also alleged ambiguities in the Technical Universities Act (2026), Act 922 as amended.
TUTAG in a statement signed and issued by its General Secretary, Dr Abubakari Zakari in Accra on Monday said that “We therefore issue this solidarity statement in support of the ongoing strike action by the Bolgatanga Technical University Chapter of TUTAG, and warn that 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.”
Dr Zakari indicated that Section 42 (6) of the Technical Universities Act 2016 (Act 922) as amended stated that “A person in the employment of a polytechnic in existence immediately before the coming into force of this Act, shall be deemed to have been duly employed by the respective Technical University established under this Act on the terms and conditions attached to the post held by that person before the coming into force of this Act”.
He noted 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,” he added.
