The four major labour unions on the campuses of the country’s public universities say inasmuch as they are on strike, they are not happy with it.
However, the intransigence of the government is what is making them continue.
The unions – University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Teachers and Educational Workers Union-Ghana (TEWU-GH), Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) and Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) – on Monday, October 17 withdrew their services over failure by government to stick to the conditions of service as agreed in June, 2021.
Efforts to enjoin the unions and government’s representatives to meet to resolve the impasse have proven futile.
According to the four labour unions, they concede that the economy is in crisis as alluded to by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last Sunday in his state-of-the-economy televised address.
Therefore, they offer a few suggestions to government over the payment of their Vehicle Maintenance and Off-Campus Allowances.
They noted in a jointly signed statement on Tuesday, November 1 that they were negotiating when ex-pump prices of fuel were at GH¢10.99 but between GH¢13.99 and GH¢15.99.
“The National Leaders of the Labour Unions in the public universities, therefore, wish to reiterate that the ongoing strike action is to continue until further notice.”
It, however, asked the National Labour Commission (NLC) to direct the government “to do the needful” at the next sitting on Wednesday, November 2.
“We are not happy with our industrial action, but it is our last resort in the face of the brute show of Governmental arbitrariness and insensitivity in handling our plight during these hard times.
“We are in a crisis as alluded by the President of our Republic during his recent address on the State of the Economy and leadership have been magnanimous and demonstrated our willingness, at previous engagements with Government, to make some sacrifices given the difficult times in which we find ourselves.
“For instance, we are prepared to allow Government to stagger the payment or develop a payment plan over a period even if the Employer cannot afford to pay off the entire allowance in one go.
“But the Government has chosen to remain intransigent and adamant.”