The Executive Director of Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Salifu Mohammed, has entreated the aggrieved staff of the University of Development Studies (UDS) to exercise patience as his office works to address the matter of the school refusing to promote some staff.
Speaking on the intended strike by the aggrieved UDS staff, Professor Mohammed intimated that his outfit acknowledges that qualified staff have been affected by the school’s decision but they are working towards ensuring that an agreement is reached.
“We agree with the affected persons that we need to write to the University. So, we are we are going to do that. We have a forum in Kumasi today and so when we are done with that, we will get back to the union”.
Professor Salifu Mohammed
Professor Mohammed averred that the group is being a bit hasty with declaring its intention to embark on a strike. He indicated that there is no justification for the staff to declare a strike when there is a conversation going on between Authorities.
“There is an issue and we have a conversation ongoing. So, I don’t know whether the announcement of the strike is a way of putting pressure on the stakeholders or what. There is really no point in declaring any intention to strike”.
Professor Salifu Mohammed
Professor Mohammed then urged the staff to exercise patience because they as a commission have good understanding of the issue at hand and will see to it that it’s dealt with accordingly.
UDS Staff on strike action
The senior staff association of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has threatened to demonstrate against management’s refusal to promote some staff of the institution. The agitation follows management’s refusal to recognize certificates obtained through distance learning of some staff.
The chairman of the senior staff association of UDS, Zakariya Mohammed, described the directive as gross disrespect. He explained that all those who had done distance programmes and have returned and are due for promotions, have been denied on the basis of the fact that they did not do full-time course.
He noted that the intriguing issue is that, the university has a center for distance learning, managed and paid for by the director and attended by the lecturers to pursue further courses. Mr. Mohammed questioned why the school authorities are not willing to promote these lecturers due to the fact that they pursued a distance programme and not a full-time course.
Professor Mohammed then disclosed that the chairman of the National Labor Commission asked the GTEC when they were likely to give the directive for them to be promoted but the directive never came. He revealed that the Minister of Education, the Employment and Labor Relation and the university council governing chairman are aware of the situation. Zakariya Mohammed stated the Association has therefore served notice to demonstrate on 29th November if the directive is not immediately reversed.
