The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) and the Federation of University Senior Staff Associations of Ghana (FUSSAG) have given the government a two-week ultimatum to begin implementing their negotiated Conditions of Service or risk a nationwide industrial action.
The unions have also maintained their opposition to plans to migrate public university staff onto the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) payroll, insisting that their longstanding concerns must first be resolved.
Speaking on behalf of the unions during a joint meeting on Monday 13th July in Accra, the Chairman of TEWU at the University of Ghana, Benjamin Nkumsah, said the Conditions of Service were successfully negotiated and signed several months ago, but the government has yet to authorise their implementation.
“We have not benefited from a single provision under the Conditions of Service because the government is yet to issue the implementation directive to university management,” he said. “It has been almost five to six months, and we have not received any communication.”
Mr. Nkumsah warned that patience among university workers is running out.
“This time, we are giving the government two weeks. If implementation of the Conditions of Service does not begin within that period, our members will embark on a strike unlike any witnessed in the public university system,” he declared.
He said the unions are dissatisfied with what they describe as the government’s continued neglect of university workers despite repeated engagements.
“We are not happy because the government is not helping us. We believe the country can only progress when the welfare of its workers is taken seriously. If the average worker continues to suffer, then the economic gains being touted mean very little,” he said.
Mr. Nkumsah also criticised delays in the release of government subventions to public universities, saying the situation has created financial difficulties for the institutions.
According to him, universities have had to rely on bank overdrafts for several months to pay staff salaries while waiting for government reimbursements.
“When the month ends, universities are forced to borrow from the banks to pay workers. Government eventually reimburses the principal amount but not the interest accrued on those overdrafts, placing an additional financial burden on the universities,” he explained.
On the proposed migration of university workers onto the CAGD payroll, Mr. Nkumsah said the issue extends beyond the timely payment of salaries.
He argued that the migration policy could adversely affect university staff, particularly those engaged in approved third-party or consultancy work to supplement their incomes.
“Many university workers take on legitimate third-party jobs because our salaries are inadequate. The proposal to deduct a processing fee from such earnings raises serious concerns. Considering the current levels of remuneration, these additional deductions would further worsen our financial situation,” he said.
Mr. Nkumsah called on the government to engage the unions in meaningful dialogue and address the broader challenges confronting public universities instead of focusing solely on payroll migration.
He stressed that improving staff welfare and ensuring the prompt implementation of negotiated Conditions of Service remain the unions’ immediate priorities.
The unions insist they remain open to dialogue but warn that failure by the government to act within the two-week deadline will leave them with no option but to embark on industrial action.
Chairman of the Federation of University Senior Staff Associations of Ghana (FUSSAG) at the University of Ghana, Jonathan Kabu, said the persistent underfunding of public universities has severely affected teaching, research and the overall quality of higher education.
According to him, many departments are struggling to provide the equipment and materials needed for practical lessons, forcing institutions to operate with inadequate resources.
“The reality is that our universities are under-resourced. We are producing graduates under very difficult conditions because the system lacks the funding required to deliver quality education. Where practical training is required, the necessary equipment and materials are often unavailable, so institutions have no choice but to make do with what they have. Ultimately, this affects the quality of education and the standard of graduates we produce,” he said.
Mr. Kabu said these challenges partly explain why the university unions continue to reject plans to migrate public university staff onto the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) payroll.
He argued that before any payroll migration is implemented, the government must first address the broader structural and funding challenges facing public universities and honour agreements reached with the unions.
According to him, the unions believe that resolving issues relating to university financing, staff welfare, and the implementation of negotiated Conditions of Service should take precedence over the proposed migration to the Controller payroll.
By Sampson Kumah Ifeetwube Taachaa Elvis
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