NATIONAL Union for Technical Education Lecturers and Allied Worker(NUTELAW) has asked the Government to repeal the Technical Education Vocational Training Authority (TEVETA) Act and take over the management of the colleges and technical institutions from the management boards.

NUTELAW general secretary, Mukeha Mukanaka said in Ndola yesterday that the working conditions and the learning standards in colleges and technical institution had drastically declined over the years from the time the management boards took over the running of the institutions from the Government.

Mr Mukanaka said in an interview that the Government should redeem the workers from the boards by repealing the TEVETA Act.

"From the time boards were installed, colleges and technical institutions have gone three steps backwards," he said.

He said the introduction of that TEVETA Act in 2000 entrusted the running of the colleges and technical institutions in the hands of part time management boards.

The running of the day-to- day affairs of Government owned higher institutions of learning need to be done by a full time management team and not a part time board.

"We have a situation where the performance and standards of lecturing has gone down after colleges started recruiting staff using the two year long renewable contracts. Most colleges are also failing to pay the workers gratuity at the end of the contracts," he said.

Mr Mukanaka also said that most management boards and colleges and technical institutions employees were not willing to sign recognition agreements and expressed interest in joining the union because of the uncertainties surrounding the boards.