Members of the Technical University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (TUTAG) have laid down their tools in an indefinite industrial action starting today, October 1, 2026, citing government’s persistent failure to address long-standing welfare and operational grievances.
The industrial action, which affects teaching, supervision of student research, and the submission of examination scripts across technical universities nationwide, was officially announced at Ho Technical University by National President Prof. Deodat E. Adenutsi. According to the union, the drastic measure stems from a unanimous decision reached during the TUTAG Congress on September 24, 2026, after initial public warnings issued in Accra on August 14, 2026, yielded no positive outcomes from state authorities.
A primary driver of the impasse is the non-payment of salaries owed to retired lecturers re-engaged on post-retirement contracts, with TUTAG revealing that several affected lecturers have worked for over 27 months without remuneration. Highlighting the extreme hardship caused by the delay, Prof. Adenutsi disclosed that some unpaid lecturers passed away before receiving their legal entitlements.
“Tragically, some of these affected colleagues have died while awaiting the payment of their remuneration,” Prof. Adenutsi said, adding that the situation highlights “the human cost of prolonged non-payment.”
The association noted that extensive dialogue with key bodies—including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and National Labour Commission—has produced no concrete results despite official acknowledgment of the debt. TUTAG is insisting on the immediate disbursement of all verified arrears, alongside a clear, written schedule for payment, extending to the families and lawful representatives of deceased members.
Adding to the tension is what TUTAG characterises as an arbitrary alteraction of the October 8, 2021 Scheme of Service by government agencies without stakeholder consultation. The association raised concerns over varying interpretations surrounding the academic status of librarians, demanding an end to classification discrepancies and the immediate payment of market premiums and associated arrears.
Furthermore, TUTAG expressed strong opposition to a July 31, 2025 directive by GTEC that mandates Assistant Lecturers and Assistant Research Fellows to complete a PhD before progression to full Lecturer or Research Fellow status. The union maintains that the original 2021 agreement only required active PhD enrolment alongside standard teaching, publication, and service benchmarks.
Despite the withdrawal of instructional and evaluation duties, academic staff will remain on campus to attend administrative meetings, sit on institutional boards, conduct research, and perform community service.
Addressing the potential impact on academic calendars, Prof. Adenutsi acknowledged the severe inconveniences the strike poses to students and their guardians, maintaining that the action was necessary to preserve professional integrity.
“We recognise the disruption industrial action causes to students, families and university communities. As teachers, we take that consequence seriously. We also have a responsibility to defend the conditions that enable our members to teach, conduct research and serve their institutions with dignity,” he said.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
