University Staff Nationwide Strike: Ghana Higher Education in Crisis

Accra, Ghana – The Senior Staff Association of Universities in Ghana and the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSSAG) have jointly declared an indefinite nationwide strike, commencing on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. The strike aims to protest against the government’s perceived failure to address critical issues related to the welfare of university senior staff, particularly concerning pensions and working conditions.

Isaac Donkoh, the National Chairman of the association, issued a press statement outlining the reasons for the industrial action. According to Donkoh, the government has not fulfilled its obligation to release Tier-2 Pension contributions to the Board of Trustees for effective investment management, as mandated by the Pension Act. Additionally, the immediate reversal of the cancellation of the overtime allowance, which was allegedly done illegally, is among the key grievances.

The senior staff associations claim that numerous pleas to the government to release the pension funds and reinstate the overtime allowance have gone unanswered, leading to the decision to embark on an indefinite strike. The government’s failure to pay pension contributions on time, avoidance of penalty payments, and the use of simple interest rates have resulted in significant financial losses for members, especially retirees from 2020 to 2023.

The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) have also been accused of directing university managements to cut off the overtime allowance for weekend and holiday work, contrary to established conditions of service and in violation of the Labour Act.

In response to the strike, the Labour Commission has scheduled a meeting for Thursday, January 18, 2024, involving key stakeholders, including the Ministers of Education, Employment and Labour Relations, the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, the National Pensions Regulatory Authority, the Chairman of Vice-Chancellors Ghana, and the National Chairman of SSA-UoG. The meeting aims to address the issues raised by the senior staff associations and seek a resolution to the ongoing crisis in higher education.

The demands put forward by the associations include the payment of all outstanding debt and pension contributions with appropriate interest, prioritized recalculation of accrued interest on Tier-2 pensions for 2010-2016, and the withdrawal of directives eliminating overtime allowances for senior staff.

As the strike unfolds, the higher education sector in Ghana faces disruptions, impacting both staff and students, and calls for urgent attention to resolve the impasse between the government and university senior staff associations.

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