TUTAG Gives Government 10-Day Ultimatum | Social

The Technical University Teachers' Association of Ghana (TUTAG) has given the government a 10-day ultimatum to honor all excellent commitments to the affiliation else its members will embark on strike motion.
It mentioned it had noticed with grave concern, the government's blatant disregard for the rulings of the National Labor Commission (NLC) and a reluctance to implement rulings towards the government.

It mentioned its Codified Conditions of Service (CoS) for members had been excellent since 2016.

TUTAG mentioned it had patiently engaged the government, amidst a feet-dragging posture.

In June 2021, the NLC dominated amongst others that: “Government ought to proceed to have interaction the affiliation on the evaluation of the expired situations of service for TUTAG."

Also in one other ruling on September 2, 2022, the Commission directed as follows: “That the efficient date of fee of the Internally Generated Fund (IGF) part of the Allowance(s) must be August 2021 as negotiated and agreed by the events.

"That the implementation date must be January, 2023. That the Minister of Finance (MoF) is hereby directed to make sure fee in January, 2023 and must also be sure that it points the required letters to the assorted University Councils inside affordable time to make budgetary provisions within the price range to maintain the funds on the efficient date,” it mentioned.

Statement

In an announcement collectively signed by its president, Surv. Teacher. Dr.-Ing. Collins Ameyaw and Secretary, Abubakari Zakari (PhD), it mentioned subsequent to those rulings, TUTAG had endured a number of processes anticipated to have culminated into the Finance Ministry issuing an authorization letter to the colleges to impact funds.

"Unfortunately, despite the numerous follow-ups, the MoF has not shown any commitment to issue the letter to the universities. Invariably, TUTAG members have been denied their appropriate benefits within the scope of the reviewed Internally Generated Fund (IGF-related) conditions of service (CoS)," the assertion mentioned.

"It is also important to note that the Technical Universities (TUs) have finished preparing their 2023 budgets and even submitted to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). The inertia being displayed by the MoF in refusing to authorize Councils of TUs, as directed by the NLC, to budget for and pay these allowances is creating uneasiness on various campuses of TUs," it mentioned.

The assertion mentioned to forestall the surprising, TUTAG wrote to the NLC on October 20, 2022 praying the Commission to invoke its personal powers by imposing the aforementioned orders as per part 172 of the Labor Act 2003, Act 651.

It mentioned, nevertheless, that the Commission seems reluctant in imposing its personal ruling, "a posture we are highly dissatisfied with."

VCs

The affiliation additionally pointed accusing fingers on the Vice Chancellors of Technical Universities (VCTU-G) within the matter. It mentioned it has picked intelligence which means that the VCTU-G is in backdoor negotiations with some government companies to defer the efficient date of the negotiated IGF-related Conditions of Service to January 1, 2023, as a substitute of August 2021.

"We want to state that the motion by the VCTU-G quantities to unfair labor follow, particularly when we now have concluded negotiations on the allowances in query.

"We wish to bring to the attention of the VCTU-G that their interference with the process has unduly delayed the issuance of the necessary letters by the Ministry of Finance, which will give effect to the implementation of the negotiated agreement/allowances. We, therefore, advise the VCTU-G to henceforth, desist from any such interference in the work of TUTAG to ensure industrial harmony on the campuses of the TUs," it added.

Litany of points

Raising a litany of considerations, TUTAG mentioned one other concern value contemplating is the unilateral variation of the CoS of employees of universities in Ghana.

"TUTAG wishes to register its highest displeasure against the unilateral variation of the determination or computation of the off-campus and vehicle maintenance allowances," it mentioned.

The assertion mentioned TUTAG had brazenly supported the continuing strike motion launched into by UTAG and three different labor unions and would have joined however for superb causes.

"We wish to reiterate our earlier position that the decision by the government to unilaterally vary our CoS is illegal and must be reversed with immediate effect," it added.

Among different points raised have been the challenges with the payroll system.

TUTAG mentioned it had formally written to the Controller and Accountant General's Department (CAGD) by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), which is at the moment managing the payroll of TUs, to cede or revert the administration of the payroll system to the assorted Technical Universities in addition to the delay within the fee of ebook and analysis allowances.