Public Universities Labour Unions Proceed on Strike After Alleged Govt No Show

The leadership of labour unions in the public universities of Ghana have declared a strike effective October 17, 2022, following the government’s non-response to their complaints as directed by the National Labour Commission (NLC).

In a statement, the unions stated that the government, as the employer, did not heed a directive from the NLC for both parties to meet within one week after their last meeting to discuss their grievances, but rather unnecessarily engaged a 10-member committee to address only their off-campus allowance.

“The employer failed to present the terms of payment for the vehicle maintenance and off-campus allowances, which are the main issues in contention, as directed by the NLC. Rather, they suggested the formation of a 10-member committee to address only the Off-Campus Allowance.”

 “The leaders of the four (4) labour unions rejected the suggestion and instead pushed for the enforcement of the 2022 adjusted fuel ex-pump rate of GHC 10.99, thus the meeting ended in a stalemate,” the statement added.

The striking unions are the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Tertiary Education Workers Union (TEWU), Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), and the Ghana Association of University Administration (GAUA), while the government is represented by the Ministries of Education, Finance, Employer and Labour Relations, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, and Vice Chancellors of Ghana