Staff of the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS) in the Upper West Region and the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) in the Upper East Region, have suspended their strike.
Worker unions at both universities embarked on strike on August 2, 2021, over a decision by the Ghana Tertiary Education Council (GTEC) to migrate them onto the payroll of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) which they claimed will lead to a reduction in their salaries and allowances.
The workers had complained that GTEC had refused to adhere to a directive by the National Labour Commission to halt the process.
The unions however decided to suspend the strike on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, following the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between their leaders and the Minister of Education.
The Agreement proposed that all migration processes should be halted until some conditions are met.
The unions in a statement expressed appreciation to the Minister of Education for his intervention in resolving the matter.
“We wish to give special thanks to the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum for his intervention and show of leadership in bringing a resolution to the matter. We further pray the Minister to hold all the relevant stakeholders that must act on the MoA to do so speedily.”
The worker unions, including the local chapters of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), Senior Staff Association-Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) had said their strike would remain in force until the migration process is halted.
They had last month given indications of their intention to strike owing to what they describe as disrespect and an attempt by the Tertiary Education Commission to undermine them.
But speaking to Citi News, UTAG President of CK Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Dr. Jones Bugase, said, the decision to call off the industrial action was reached after the disputed parties agreed on a mutual resolution.
“The decision to suspend the strike has been reached following a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed between worker unions of CK Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) and the SD Dumbo University of Business and Integrated Development (SDD-UBIDS) and the Ministry of Education for all migration processes to be halted until the conditions precedent for the migration of public universities unto the CAGD’s IPPD2 are met.”
