Universities senior staff declare strike effective Monday

Senior staff of public universities in the country have declared an indefinite strike beginning Monday, October 19, 2020, in for demand better conditions of service.

They argue that the government has failed to address a myriad of concerns relating to their welfare.

Key among their grievances was study leave with pay, appointments and promotions, medical care for staff and their dependents.

The group also highlighted market premium and payment of tier 2 arrears of retired colleagues that have not been paid.

Another issue of concern, according to them, was the attempts to migrate them from the payroll of public universities onto the controller and accountant general’s payroll.

At a press conference in Accra on Friday, October 16, 2020, the National Chairman of the Senior Staff Association, Mr Abdul-Majeed Yussif, explained that they were left with no choice.

“All members of the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSAUG) are required to lay down their tools and hoist red flags across all campuses,” Mr Yussif said. “We strongly advocate for special dispensation akin to that granted to the security services and other public institutions with respect to salary administration.”

The association said, “All attempts by the national leadership to get the government to address the above state concerns have proved futile,” Mr Yussif said.

He said they had tried on several occasions to draw the government’s attention through appropriate agencies such as the Ministry of Education, National Council for Tertiary Education to the “unfavourable policies responsible for the deteriorating conditions of service senior staff medical staff.