Labour Unions in public universities comprising of 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), have given government a one- week ultimatum to settle their outstanding allowance or they withdraw their services.
The four teacher Unions at a media briefing in Accra accused its employer of hoarding payment of their book and research allowances.
They also accused the government of intending to reverse an upward adjustment of their maintenance and off campus allowances.
According to them, this is contrary to a Memorandum of Understanding they signed on June 16, 2021.
“The concerned Labour Unions are admonishing all the rank and file of their membership to remain calm and steadfast, that it will resist any attempt by the Employer to vary the terms of their agreed Conditions of Service without due process.
“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its intension to vary our conditions of service, else, teaching, and related activities on all the campuses will be withdrawn with effect from Wednesday, 5th October 2022”, the workers’ unions stated.
The unions enumerated recent developments that have culminated in their intended strike action.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Labour Unions took notice of a letter from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) on the revision of fuel allowance payable to eligible staff in public and technical universities with reference number BD/CMU/22/08/SAL. 1, and dated 5th August 2022 and signed by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Hon. Abena Osei-Asare (MP) on behalf of the Minister of Finance, which was duly copied to the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
“We also refer to another letter from the Ministry of Finance on the subject “ALLOWANCES PAYABLE ON THE PAYROLL OF PUBLIC UNIVERISITIES” with reference number BD/CMU/22/03/SAL.1, dated 16th March 2022 and again signed by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Hon. Abena Osei-Asare (MP) on behalf of the Minister of Finance, which was addressed to the Director-General of GTEC.
“Lastly, reference is made to previous letters from UTAG to the Minister of Finance and the Executive Secretary, National Labour Commission (NLC) with reference numbers UTAG/NAT/2022/EM-002 and UTAG/NAT/2022/EM-007, dated 11th April 2022 and 15th June 2022, respectively, both of which were copied to GTEC. In the said letters, UTAG sought clarification on the basis for the unilateral variation in the Conditions of Service of the University Teachers, and by extension, all workers of the Public Universities, without the laid down procedures for negotiations.
“Unfortunately, UTAG did not receive a response from the Minister of Finance and again response in respect of NLC’s directive, where the NLC gave the Minister of Finance seven (7) working days to respond was to no avail.
“In UTAG’s previous letters, UTAG stated unequivocally that per the signed Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the Employer and UTAG on 16th June 2021, the Employer agreed to review Fuel Allowance bi-annually with the approved rates and the first date review should have occurred in December 2021 but did not happen in spite of the reminders sent to the Employer”.
