The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Technical University Senior Administrators’ Association of Ghana (TUSAAG) has announced a nationwide strike effective January 8 over non-adherence of the management of technical universities to conditions related to the retirement of its members.
Citing Article 14(b) and Article 34 of the Conditions of Service (CoS) of staff of technical universities, TUSAAG argued that staff of the technical universities are to retire from the service of the universities at the end of the academic year in which they attain the prescribed retiring age, which is 60.
In a statement, the Association accused the management of some technical universities of not complying with the above provisions, terminating the employment of some non-teaching staff when they reached the age of 60 without considering the status of the academic year.
“Despite the clarity provided in all our earlier communication, the Management of Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU), Sunyani Technical University (STU), Accra Technical University (ATU) and Koforidua Technical University (KTU) have failed to comply fully with the roll-over of the retirement date to the end of the academic year. At the CCTU for instance, the 2023/2024 Academic Calendar starts on Monday, October 16, 2023 and ends on Friday, June, 07, 2024.”
“The three affected staff (names provided to the Management of CCTU), all of whom are TUSAAG members, attained the age of Sixty (60) (the retiring age) between October 18, 2023 and December 16, 2023. Thus, the academic year in which the affected staff attained age Sixty (60) is the 2023/2024 Academic Year of the CCTU”.
“By the provisions laid in both Article 14(b) and Article 34, and in accordance with the 2023/2024 Academic Calendar of CCTU, the affected staff should therefore retire at the end of the 2023/2024 Academic year, which is June 7, 2024.”
“Contrary to the above conditions in the CoS, and in disregard of the earlier notice issued by the NEC of TUSAAG, the Management of CCTU has mandated the retirement of those officers by December 31, 2023, ahead of the expiration of the 2023/2024 Academic year, which is June 7, 2024,” the statement said.
Accordingly, TUSAAG noted that it will embark on a full-scale strike action on Monday, January 8, 2023, “in demand for full compliance with the conditions of the roll-over of the retirement date, as outlined in the referred portions of the Conditions of Service.”
The Association said the strike, which will involve the withdrawal of all administrative and professional services, will continue until the management of technical universities fully implements the retirement date roll-over conditions for affected staff.
