The Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has resumed its industrial action, saying the government has failed to address concerns that have remained unresolved since 2020.
GAUA General Secretary Charles Kwadwo Aidoo said the association had raised the outstanding issues with the government on several occasions but had made little progress despite repeated engagements.
Speaking in an interview, Mr Aidoo explained that GAUA first declared a strike on August 10 but suspended it after Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu met with the association and assured members that their concerns would be addressed.
He said the association subsequently heeded the minister’s appeal and entered negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
According to him, however, the negotiations later stalled, leading members to call for the resumption of industrial action.
“GTEC and Fair Wages ignored our concerns after we met Haruna Iddrisu, so we’re back on strike,” Mr Aidoo said.
He maintained that the concerns were longstanding and that the association had shown restraint before deciding to resume the strike.
“It is not a new issue. We have been very measured in our strike. This is just a tip of the iceberg,” he said.
Mr Aidoo said GAUA remained engaged with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and was willing to end the strike if meaningful progress was achieved.
He added that the association could call off the action within the month if the government addressed its outstanding concerns.
“We are in agreement to call off the strike within this month if the issues are resolved,” he said.
Mr Aidoo also highlighted the important role GAUA members play in Ghana’s public universities, noting that the association represents professionals working across several areas of university administration and operations.
He said the decision to embark on industrial action should therefore be taken seriously, particularly because striking is not a usual approach for GAUA.
“We don’t usually embark on strike. When we do, it is because our concerns have not been resolved despite calls,” he said.
The latest strike comes amid broader industrial tensions in Ghana’s tertiary education sector, as other university-based associations continue to push for the resolution of outstanding issues relating to their conditions of service and other matters.
