Ongoing strike halts admissions at Technical Universities

Operations at public technical universities across Ghana are grinding to a halt as the Technical Universities Senior Administrators Association of Ghana continues its strike over a long-overdue One-Time Research Allowance.

The association says the allowance has been outstanding for almost 17 months, despite a formal agreement with the government.

At Kumasi Technical University, the Local President of the association, Akwasi Sarfo Agyemang, explained that members have fully withdrawn their services and are following the directive to remain at home.

According to him, the campuses may look active at a glance, but the senior administrators who manage key processes are absent.

“Being on strike means our members are not supposed to be at work, and that is exactly what they are doing now,” he said.

He noted that anyone seen submitting forms or carrying out administrative tasks is likely being assisted by staff who are not part of the union, since senior administrators responsible for admissions, finance and audit services have stepped away from their posts.

The association declared the indefinite industrial action, accusing the government of breaching the July 2024 agreement on the allowance.

Mr Agyemang said the association has written multiple times to the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission and other agencies but has received no firm commitment.

With the strike in full force, newly admitted students and continuing students are beginning to feel its impact. Admissions processing has slowed significantly, and key financial procedures have stalled.

The association says it will only resume work when the government settles the outstanding allowance.

The government has not yet issued a response.