Dr Clement Apaak appeals to university unions to call off strike
The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Apaak, has appealed to striking university unions to call off their industrial action to protect teaching and learning across public universities.
Making the appeal after chairing a meeting at the Ministry of Education on behalf of the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, with the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), he said the discussions were frank and constructive, focusing on the issues that triggered the ongoing strike by senior university staff.
Engagement
The meeting, held last Friday, brought together representatives of the Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU-TUC), the Federation of University Senior Staff Associations of Ghana (FUSSAG), the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr George Smith-Graham.
“On behalf of President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, I appealed to the unions to consider the impact of their action on teaching and learning and call off the strike,” he stated.
He further encouraged the unions to remain engaged with statutory dispute-resolution mechanisms, such as the National Labour Commission, to reach an amicable resolution.
Dr Apaak said the government remained committed to dialogue and consensus-building, stressing that sustained engagement among all parties was essential to restoring calm on campuses and ensuring that students were not unduly affected by the dispute.
Nation-wide strike
Members of the SSA-UoG last Tuesday declared a nationwide strike to protest recent changes to their conditions of service by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
The association argued that the adjustments were imposed without adequate consultation and were detrimental to the welfare of senior staff in public universities.
According to the SSA-UoG, the variations affected key aspects of their service conditions and undermined previously agreed arrangements, leaving members with little option but to embark on industrial action.
The ongoing strike is already having implications for academic and administrative work, with lectures, examinations and routine university operations disrupted in several institutions.
