The University of Ghana faces potential disruption to academic and administrative activities as the Teachers and Educational Worker’s Union (TEWU) and the Senior Staff Association, Universities of Ghana, (SSA-UoG, CHS) issue a notice of industrial action.
Scheduled to commence on December 13 the strike follows unsuccessful attempts by the unions to resolve pending issues with their employer, including prolonged delays in paying Interim Market Premium arrears for certain staff members.
The unions claim that despite completing computations for payments, the university management has failed to forward the necessary information to the Finance Directorate and Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
In a letter dated December 4, 2023, addressed to the Vice Chancellor, the unions expressed their disappointment and formally served notice of the impending industrial action.
The letter urged urgent intervention by the university management.
Read full details of the letter addressed to the UG Vice Chancellor:
NOTICE OF INDUSTRIAL ACTION OVER UNDUE DELAY IN THE PAYMENT OF INTERIM MARKET PREMIUM ARREARS
We wish to inform you that Teachers and Educational Worker’s Union (TEWU) and Senior Staff Association, Universities of Ghana, (SSA-UoG, CHS) will embark on industrial action in the University of Ghana on Wednesday 13th December, 2023 over the undue delays in the payment of arrears of Interim Market Premium for some staff.
This action has become necessary because, all efforts to get the University Management to pay the arrears spanning from 2010 to 2018 has proved futile. The unions have over the years exercised enough patience out of good faith and can no longer continue beyond 13th December, 2023.
As it may be recalled, management had had an agreement with the Unions in December 2017 which wasduly adopted by the High Court, labour division to facilitate these to affected staff, just as it was paid to their counterparts at the University of Ghana Dental School and Senior Members of all Public Universities.
However, all efforts to get management of the University to comply with the agreement by the parties to get the arrears paid as early as possible has yielded no result. Staff were informed that the computations for these payments have been completed and forwarded to the Finance Directorate of the University for onward transmission to Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). It came out at the National Labour Commission during hearing that this was not the case.
Furthermore, management of the University have on three occasions failed to meet all directives set by the NLC to complete and submit the claims to GTEC for processing and payments. We believe that the University management is only seeking solace in the NLC in order to buy time.
Our members can no longer hold their peace on this matter and are therefore ready to take any action to back their demand for the payment of this arrears.
Management should take note of this letter as notice of our industrial action is hereby served.
Yours in Labour,
Mr. Isaac Donkoh
National Chairman, (SSA-UoG)
Mr. MarkDankyira Korankye
General Secretary (TEWU-TUC)
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