UTAG, 3 Other University Labour Unions Threatens Strike Over Book And Research Allowance

Four labour unions in the Public Universities in Ghana have issued a week ultimatum to the government to address outstanding conditions of service or they proceed on strike on October 5.

The unions namely, 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 settle their outstanding online teaching support allowance (OTSA), and Non-payroll allowances.

Amongst other demands, the unions also want government to settle the payment of 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.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, the President of UTAG, Professor Solomon Nunoo, “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its intension to vary our conditions of service, else, teaching, and related activities on all the campuses will be withdrawn with effect from Wednesday, 5th October 2022,” portions of a statement released by the unions stated.

The unions noted that they will not condone any action by the employer to disregard the agreed conditions of service.

“UTAG and her sister Unions would wish to entreat the Employer to thread 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 four labour unions claimed 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 such action by the Vice-Chancellors to be addressed or a possible total withdrawal of their services across all Public Universities in Ghana will be the resultant action.

“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.