Public university workers remain on strike after continued stalemate

An attempt to get the striking public university workers union to rescind their decision could not be achieved at a meeting between the National Labour Commission (NLC) and the unions on Wednesday.

According to the Secretary of the University of Ghana chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Prof. Ransford Gyampo, it was revealed at the meeting that the Finance Ministry has a key role to play in addressing their concerns.

He added that the process may delay following the ongoing probe of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, following a motion of censure against the minister in Parliament.

Speaking to Citi News after the engagement, Prof. Gyampo disclosed that the meeting has been rescheduled to be held in the next ten days.

“We have brought this proposal to the National Labour Commission, and they have also sort of agreed that we should wait and go on with the discussion in the next 10 days.”

The other unions on strike are the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) and Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA).

The strike by the four unions in public universities is in its sixth week.

UTAG’s concerns, for example, are with the adjusted ex-pump rate of GHS10.99 being implemented to affect Vehicle Maintenance and Off-Campus Allowances.

The union has complained that the agreed Conditions of Service of University Workers by the Employer were not being adhered to.