The Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has resumed its industrial action, citing the government’s failure to resolve concerns that have remained outstanding since 2020.
General Secretary of GAUA, Charles Kwadwo Aidoo, said the association had repeatedly raised the issues with government but had seen little progress, despite several engagements.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr Aidoo said GAUA initially declared a strike on August 10, but suspended the action after Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu engaged the association and assured members that their concerns would be addressed.
He said the association subsequently complied with the minister’s appeal and began negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
However, he said the process eventually stalled, prompting members to demand a return to industrial action.
“GTEC and Fair Wages ignored our concerns after we met Haruna Iddrisu, so we’re back on strike,” Mr Aidoo said.
He stressed that the issues were not new and that the association had exercised restraint before resorting to the latest action.
“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 was still engaging the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and remained open to ending the strike if concrete progress was made.
He said the association was prepared to call off the action within the month if government resolved 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 sought to underscore the critical role played by GAUA members across Ghana’s public universities, saying the association represents professionals in several key areas of university administration and operations.
According to him, the association’s decision to strike should therefore not be taken lightly, particularly because industrial action is not a regular strategy 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 action comes amid wider industrial tensions within Ghana’s tertiary education sector, with other university-based associations also demanding the resolution of outstanding concerns over their conditions of service and related matters.
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