Members of the Senior Staff Association of the Universities of Ghana (SSA UOG) have declared a strike today.
At a news conference at the main entrance of the University of Ghana, members of the Senior Staff Association of the Universities of Ghana were asked by their leadership to “go home.”
The Association joins a tall list of public sector labour unions that have embarked on strikes demanding Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), calculated as 20% of basic salary.
They are also unhappy that accrued interest on Tier 2 pension arrears has not been paid.
The members are also worried about what they describe as university salary disparities.
At the news conference today, General Secretary of the Association, Hector Owoahene-Acheampong, said senior staff in the public universities are unfairly treated, and the time is now to have their demands met.
The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) have laid down their tools over the failure of the government to pay the 20% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).
Regarding this development, representatives of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) walked out of the negotiation with the government over their demand for COLA.
The two associations have accused the government of betrayal of trust for asking them to call off their strike before negotiations.
The Members of the Senior Staff Association of the Universities of Ghana (SSA UOG) have also dared the Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Benjamin Arthur to go ahead and withhold their salaries after they declared their strike starting today, Wednesday, July 13.
Announcing the declaration of the strike at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, July 13, National Chairman of the SSA UOG, Isaac Donkor alleged that the CEO of the FWSC threatened to block their salaries if they go on strike.
The association has been demanding that the government applies fairness in the payment of allowances to public workers in Ghana.
“The CEO of FWSC Ing Ben Arthur has threatened to withhold all salaries of senior staff if we embark on strike. We believe that his posture was intimidating and also an affront to the position he occupies as a public officer who preaches equity but practices none. We are daring him on his claim.
“His action has even triggered our resolve for the strike action. We still maintain our position that the government has been unfair to the senior staff in public universities in Ghana.
“In our candid opinion, the payment of allowance to a selected few within the senior staff associations in public universities and our compatriots in other unions is unscientific and discriminatory . we, therefore, ask the government to act fairly towards senior staff in public universities.,” he said.
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Source: MyGhanaMedia.com
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