TUTAG Strike: Students leave campus in search of money

Students in Technical Universities across the nation have joined their striking teachers who are demanding upgraded conditions of service to befit their status after transitioning from Polytechnic to Technical University lecturers.

The students who have mostly left campus days after their lecturers announced their strike admit that the strike action will affect their academics but most importantly, it will take a toll on their finances as this unforeseen event will cause harm to their budget for the semester.

Happy98.9FM’s Joseph Nii Ankrah visited the Accra Technical University campus today and was met by students who are putting themselves through school and regard the striking action as a bit harsh. They urged lecturers to return to campus, as they did not want to suffer and lose the money paid in tuition and other fees.

A student identified as Caleb Owusu shared, “as teachers are on strike indefinitely, some of our colleagues fear they will face some financial difficulties as they budgeted for our 3 months stay in school. Because of this, they have gone home to work and earn some money to support themselves after the lecturers return from the strike.”

Another student who refused to reveal her name noted that over the vacation, she saved enough to keep her in school for the semester but with this new development, “I have to go back home and earn something more because staying on campus is expensive. I will use this opportunity to work some extra shifts to earn enough to complete my fees.”

Other students in Technical Universities nationwide are worried as they fear the strike action will affect them in their end-of-semester exam. “We have a course outline we follow and even if we miss a week of it, we will suffer in our exams,” Isaac Kwakye lamented.

The students who are in the early days of the semester appealed to their lecturers to call off their strike action and give them a chance to study.

Academic work at the technical universities was disrupted on Monday, June 15, 2021, when members of the Technical University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (TUTAG) embarked on a sit-down strike to press home their demand for improved conditions of service.

The fate of academic work now hinges on a meeting between TUTAG and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to discuss the conditions of service of TUTAG members.