The Senior Staff Association of Public Universities in Ghana (SSA-UoG) and the Federation of Universities Senior Staff (FUSSAG) have embarked on an indefinite strike, citing the government’s deliberate refusal to pay their mandatory occupational pension as the primary reason for their industrial action.
Since last year, the unions claim that the government has neglected their Tier-2 pension scheme, despite numerous efforts by their leadership to address the issue. Members of these unions at prominent institutions such as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Development Studies (UDS), and University of Ghana (UG) have demonstrated their commitment to the strike until the government intervenes.
At KNUST, SSA-UoG members expressed their frustration, emphasizing that the strike is their only recourse to compel the government to address their plight. The core issue revolves around the Tier-2 pension, which the government has allegedly withheld since February of the previous year.
A member of the Senior Staff at KNUST stated, “Government has refused to address this issue. Some of our members have gone on pension, and when you see the amount of money that they have been given, you realize that the government is actually making things difficult for us.”
In addition to the pension concerns, the unions highlighted their apprehensions about the government’s intention to reduce their fixed overtime allowance from 50% to 10%, renaming it as a call-in allowance.
The impact of these issues, including potential retiree hardship and reduced income for active staff, has raised serious concerns among the unions. The Chairman of SSA-UoG at UDS, Mohammed Zachari, underscored the severity of the situation, especially for retirees, stating, “The implications of the government’s action are unacceptably severe, particularly for retirees from 2020-2023.”
Despite acknowledging the counterproductivity of their strike, the unions emphasized their commitment to continuing the industrial action until the government addresses their grievances. They argue that the government should be held accountable for any adverse consequences resulting from the strike.
James Yakubu, SSA-UoG Trustee at the University of Ghana, highlighted that the unions had provided prior notice to the government but received no response. He expressed the unions’ openness to negotiation if an official notice is received.
The indefinite strike by university staff in Ghana raises concerns about the potential impact on the academic environment and emphasizes the urgency of resolving the pension dispute to restore normalcy to the nation’s universities.