Report By: Ishmael Barfi
Accra, Ghana – The Senior Staff Association-Universities of Ghana (SSA-UOG) and other labour unions have announced an indefinite strike effective immediately, citing the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission’s (FWSC) unilateral decision to alter their conditions of service.
Reading the statement at a press conference in Accra, Harruna Rafik,the chairman of Korle-Bu chapter of the Association, claim that FWSC signed an agreement in 2021 allowing senior staff of public universities to receive overtime allowances.
“However, the University of Ghana (UG) stopped paying this allowance last year, replacing it with a “call-in allowance”, adding “The FWSC has allegedly instructed UG not to pay overtime, despite testifying earlier that the unions had a valid agreement”.
According to the statement, FWSC’s actions are a betrayal of trust and a breach of the rules of engagement. The unions had boycotted a meeting with FWSC after discovering a letter from the Vice Chancellor of UG, instructing them not to pay overtime to senior staff.
According to the Korle-Bu Chapter Chairman, the strike is also in protest of government’s failure to pay arrears of salaries and allowances to staff of National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Ghana Institute of Languages (GIL), and Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) following their upgrade to a full-fledged university, University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC).
The unions claim that despite numerous correspondences, meetings, and assurances, the government has failed to pay the arrears spanning four years.
Additionally, the unions are demanding payment of five months’ (August to December 2024) tier two contributions to their fund managers. The unions consider this a serious issue, as it affects their retirement income.
“We do not take delight in embarking on industrial actions, but we must be treated with fairness and respect,” said Harruna Rafik, Korle-Bu Chapter Chairman, SSA-UoG.
The unions are demanding withdrawal of the FWSC’s letter instructing UG not to pay overtime, payment of arrears, and remittance of tier two contributions with penalties. The National Labour Commission (NLC) had intervened earlier, but the issue remains unresolved.
The strike is expected to affect academic activities in public universities across Ghana.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
