The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has joined forces with the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) in a nationwide strike, effective Friday, September 20, 2024.
This industrial action follows the government’s failure to address long-standing agreements on improved working conditions.
In a statement, TEWU expressed its frustration with the government’s inaction, particularly regarding the non-implementation of Vehicle Maintenance and Off-Campus allowances.
Although the Ministry of Finance approved these allowances on August 2, 2024, they have yet to be executed by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD).
“Despite an approval letter from the Ministry of Finance, these allowances have not been implemented, causing further strain on our members,” the union declared.
TEWU also raised concerns over the government’s failure to recalculate and pay interest on delayed Tier Two pension deductions from January 2010 to 2016. Additionally, eight months’ worth of Tier Two deductions have been withheld, despite being taken from employees’ salaries.
“The government has failed to recalculate and pay the interest accrued from delayed Tier Two deductions, and this is unacceptable,” TEWU asserted.
SSA-UoG has been on strike since Monday, September 16, 2024, over similar grievances, accusing the government of not fulfilling previous agreements. With both unions now on strike, public universities across Ghana face widespread disruptions.
TEWU urged its members to fully participate in the action, pressing the government to resolve these issues to secure dignified retirements for workers and prevent further interruptions to the academic calendar.
“We call on the government to resolve these outstanding issues immediately, as the future of our educational system and the welfare of our members depend on it,” TEWU stated.