Worker unions at the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS) have threatened to strike on March 11, 2021. This is because of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department payroll decision premised to migrate them.

Contained in a statement, the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Senior Staff Association-Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) and the Tertiary and Education Workers Union agreed to the striking date.

“We find it discriminatory and unacceptable that these three public universities have been isolated and targeted among the public universities for migration to CAGD’s payroll at a time that there is an ongoing discussion on the migration of public universities to CAGD’s payroll”.

The Unions expect the possible migration to lead to a downgrade in salaries, allowances and other conditions of service.

“We have served GTEC a letter expressing our discontentment and have demanded of GTEC to withdraw the said letter with immediate effect and communicate to us by Thursday, March 11, 2021. If we do not receive a response from GTEC by the said date, our members have resolved to embark on a strike action by 18th March 2021”.

In a separate statement, it reequested President Akufo-Addo to “stop GTEC/CAGD from migrating SDD-UBIDS staff, and staff of CKT-UTAS and UESD to CAGD’s Payroll until all negotiations are concluded between the national unions (UTAG, GAUA, SSA-UoG and TEWU) and the MoE, MoF, CAGD and NLC”.

The University was previously the Wa Campus of UDS before being granted autonomy.

There has been attempt by teachers’ unions in the past to go on strike as a result of some abysmal working conditions.

Teachers unions threaten strike action

The Local Union Chairman at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Charles Arthur, had at the beginning of the year threatened a nationwide strike. He stated that conclusion on negotiation on their demands were unmet.

He further attributed their action to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission refusal to give attention to their calls. There had been complaints for the last two years, which had been ignored. 

In December, the Union resolved to withdraw its services due to the inability of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to reach an agreement over improve conditions of service.

Senior Staff Association of the Universities of Ghana demand tier two pension

The Senior Staff Association had made demand payment on the outstanding Tier-2 pension contributions of its members.

In a statement signed, Zakariah Mohammed, it extolled the government for its timely intervention in addressing its grievances. He further stated that there were still some outstanding arrears.

The Senior Staff Association of Public Universities in Ghana had earlier expressed this discontentment over stalled negotiation with government. In October, they threatened to strike over government’s failure to address its labour issues.