General News of Friday, 9 March 2018

Source: otecfmghana.com

TUTAG strike suspended; not called off -TUTAG President

Some members of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana(TUTAG) Some members of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana(TUTAG)

Leadership of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), has denied reports that their sit down strike has been called off after meeting with the National Labour Commission (NLC) yesterday.

According to the National president for TUTAG, Dr Anthony Ayarkwa, leadership of the Association met the minister of education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and other stakeholders in the tertiary education sector to discuss the way forward to address their concerns.

Members of TUTAG stayed out of the classroom for four days in protest of the amendment of certain sections of the 2016 Act that establishes Technical Universities.

The Amendment bill which is currently before parliament seeks to grant powers to the NCTE to perform functions which TUTAG argues falls within the purview of the governing councils, Academic boards and Principal Officers of Technical Universities in Ghana.

Speaking in an interview with Otec FM's Agya Wusu on NYANSAPO, Dr Ayarkwa stated that they had to suspend the strike as negotiation and talks still ongoing but not called off.

"We are still in talks with the education ministry and other stakeholders hence the need to suspend our strike and not called off as being reported" he emphasized”

Dr Ayarkwa however revealed that even though TUTAG trusted the government to meet their demands, they would resume full strike if government fails to address their concerns.