Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has appealed to members of the Technical University Senior Administrators of Ghana (TUSAG) and the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) to reconsider their decision to embark on industrial action.
The planned strike is linked to concerns over unpaid book and research allowances, as well as outstanding issues relating to the conditions of service of university administrators.
Speaking during a meeting with the leadership and members of the two groups on September 16, Mr Iddrisu said government is committed to addressing the concerns and has taken steps to facilitate the payment of the outstanding allowances.
He said the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) had been directed to provide the necessary data to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to enable payments to be processed.
“I have directed GTEC to provide data to the Controller. I am happy to note that some of you will have [your allowances] paid in your September salaries, not all. When I get all the data, you will all be paid,” he said.
The Minister also urged the leadership of TUSAG and GAUA to continue engaging government while efforts are made to resolve the outstanding concerns.
He cautioned that industrial action within the tertiary education sector could have serious implications for teaching and learning and potentially disrupt the academic calendar.
“This meeting is to appeal to GAUA and TUSAG to maintain industrial peace and harmony in all public tertiary universities whilst we engage,” Mr Iddrisu said.
The Education Minister therefore urged the two groups to reconsider the planned strike and give government the opportunity to fulfil its commitments on the payment of book and research allowances and address other outstanding issues concerning their conditions of service.
By Daniel Opoku
