Public universities risks closure due to labour unrests – GAUA
The Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) is calling on all stakeholders, especially government and its agents to immediately resolve all labour disputes to avoid total closure of Public Universities.
“We understand certain gestures have been offered at the negotiations to resolve the impasse, and wish to serve notice that GAUA is equally affected by the worsening conditions of service and hope government will equally respond by addressing our needs placed on the table of negotiation as well, before concluding negotiations with our sister Unions”, the association said.
A statement signed by Mr Kwabena Antwi-Konadu, the National President, GAUA, copied to the Ghana News Agency said GAUA had observed with concern the recent spate of labour unrests in some Public Universities.
“In resolving these issues, government should be mindful of fairness to all categories of staff in the Universities. Failure to resolve these issues fairly will escalate the already turbulent labour front in the Universities”.
The statement said the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission would be guided by the 2012 National Labour Commission Arbitration ruling on relativity and parity in the conditions of service for senior members and also, the conditions of service for the other categories of staff at the public universities.
The statement further appealed to government to proactively deal with all outstanding issues of the four unions to avoid a situation where each union would embark on an industrial action separately.
On the recent migration of Public Universities to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department’s Payroll Platform, GAUA said these issues of migration of Public Universities to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department’s Payroll Platform could have been resolved amicably without disturbing the otherwise smooth running of the Universities.
“GAUA is therefore appealing to all Sector Ministers and their assigns in the negotiations to as a matter of urgency and importance, resolve these issues which are the cause of the disruption of the already challenged academic calendar as a result of Covid-19 and its related impact on the Universities”.