Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has appealed to striking university administrators to suspend their industrial action and give the government one month to resolve their outstanding payment concerns.
Speaking at a meeting with representatives of the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) and the Technical University Senior Administrators Association of Ghana (TUSAAG) on Monday, August 17, Mr Iddrisu said the government was committed to addressing the issues that triggered the strike.
“I want you to give me one month to resolve the issues, and I want you to furnish me with the data to help the resolution,” the Minister said.
A major issue at the centre of the dispute is the payment of a one-time research allowance owed to non-teaching senior staff of public universities.
Mr Iddrisu directed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to submit the relevant data on beneficiaries by 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 18.
The data is expected to enable the Ministry of Finance to validate the figures and begin the process for payment.
According to the Minister, the Finance Ministry requires validated and audited beneficiary data before releasing the funds.
He said he had discussed the matter with Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Ampem, who also emphasised the need for accurate information on the beneficiaries.
Mr Iddrisu further referred to a letter dated April 24, 2026, from the Deputy Finance Minister and stressed the need for the requested information to be submitted to facilitate the payment process.
The Education Minister also addressed a recent letter from GTEC which, according to him, contained both “friendly and unfriendly” elements.
He suggested that the issues raised in the letter may need to be dealt with separately, while urging the administrators to return to work as government works towards resolving their concerns.
GAUA and TUSAAG began the latest industrial action on August 11, 2026, over unresolved concerns including salary disparities, market premium adjustments and outstanding allowances.
The strike has already disrupted academic activities at some public universities, with institutions including the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) reportedly suspending scheduled examinations.
TUSAAG had previously suspended its strike on December 22, 2025, following an intervention by the Education Minister.
However, the association resumed the industrial action after the government failed to meet agreed deadlines for payment of the outstanding research allowance.
The government had initially committed to paying the allowance by March 30, 2026, before extending the deadline to the end of April. Neither deadline was met.
Meanwhile, GTEC has directed specified senior management officials of public universities to return to work, arguing that they are not eligible to participate in industrial action.
The directive covers Vice-Chancellors, Pro Vice-Chancellors, Registrars, Directors of Finance, Directors of Internal Audit and other executive and managerial officials.
GTEC has given Vice-Chancellors 48 hours to submit registers of senior management officials who fail to comply with the directive.
Following Monday’s meeting, GAUA leadership requested 48 hours to consult its members on the Education Minister’s appeal.
The association is expected to communicate its decision by Wednesday, August 19.
If members agree to suspend the strike, the government will have until September 17, 2026, to address the payment concerns under the one-month timeline proposed by Mr Iddrisu.
The Minister has appealed for industrial harmony across public universities as both sides seek to resolve the dispute and restore normal academic and administrative activities.
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