Four labour unions in the Public Universities in Ghana have given the government a one week ultimatum to address outstanding conditions of service or failure of which they will strike on October 5.
The unions which include, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), Tertiary Education Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU-GH), and the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) want the government to pay their outstanding online teaching support allowance (OTSA), and Non-payroll allowances.
Other demands, the unions are asking the government to pay are the book and Research Allowance for 2022 and implement the agreement reached in March on the implementation of the market premium or review the Single Spine Salary Structure in 2023.
“The Unions also take this opportunity to advice the Employer to be circumspect as we do not take delight in disrupting the academic calendar, nevertheless, when compelled to do so, we will not hesitate.
“Therefore, the Employer should immediately rescind its intension to vary our conditions of service, else, teaching, and related activities on all the campuses will be withdrawn with effect from Wednesday, 5th October 2022,” the statement issued by the unions read in part.
The unions served notice they will not condone any action by the government to disregard the agreed conditions of service.
“UTAG and her sister Unions would wish to entreat the Employer to tread carefully so as not to mar the already jeopardised tertiary education front, as the Labour Unions would not countenance such flagrant disregard of agreed modalities of Conditions of Service.”
The concerned unions asserted that currently, Vice-Chancellors, through their Finance Directors apply the GH¢10.99 ex-pump approved rate only to fuel allowance without considering vehicle maintenance and Off-Campus allowances.
They want this addressed otherwise all public universities across the country will withdraw their services.
“We know the language that easily sinks in their psyche, and we will speak it in one (1) week if they fail to heed to their own agreement with us,” the unions said in the statement.
