Life on the various campuses of public and technical universities is expected to return to normal from Monday following the suspension of the strike by the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) and the Technical Universities Senior Administrators Association of Ghana (TUSAAG) yesterday.
This is after the government had addressed nearly 80 per cent of their grievances.
The development paves the way for public universities that suspended their reopening dates to reopen, while those that resumed academic work without the full complement of administrators now enjoy optimal staff sufficiency.
The presidents of GAUA, Rev. Kwaku Karikari Amoah, and TUSAAG, Stanley Abopaam, announced the suspension of the industrial actions at a joint press conference in Accra yesterday.
The two unions declared a strike on August 10, 2026, over six issues.
GAUA
The GAUA president said at the just-ended National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, the members present evaluated the issues that led to the strike, including the market premium, the wrongful placement on the Single-Spine Salary Structure, the 40 per cent negotiated allowance for its members who were professionals in the technical and public universities, the extension of the retirement rollover, and the one-off research allowance payment.
Rev. Kwaku Karikari Amoah (left), President, GAUA, addressing the press with Stanley Abopaam (middle), President, TUSAAG
“After we had done a thorough evaluation, we came to the consensus that about 80 per cent of our grievances have been met.
The rest, we still have a window that we are engaging the government stakeholders to ensure that they are addressed.
On that basis, we agreed unanimously that we’ll suspend the strike action so that our members will go back to the offices on Monday to work,” Rev. Amoah said.
The NEC is the second highest decision-making body of the associations, apart from their congress.
TUSAAG
For his part, Mr Abopaam said yesterday morning, the NEC of TUSAAG also met and evaluated the level of progress relative to the issues that resulted in the strike.
“Accordingly, after the evaluation, members voted that in line with the level of progress made following from the intervention of the Minister of Education and the Minister of Finance working through their agencies, it was imperative that, acting in good faith, we suspend the strike while we continue to engage on the remaining items that stand unresolved,” he said.
“Accordingly, the strike action declared jointly by TUSAAG and GAUA stands suspended effective immediately,” he said.
Mr Abopaam, therefore, called on all members to return to work by Monday at all technical universities.
Government
Responding to the development, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, on behalf of the government, expressed gratitude to the leadership of GAUA and TUSAAG for the support.
“I know it's not an easy one, but what is important for government is your announcement of a suspension.
So whether suspension or call-off, there is restoration of life on our university campuses across the country,” the Education Minister said.
Mr Iddrisu expressed the hope that “our universities will function; they can reopen effective immediately, subject to the directives of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
“And by any standard, if you say 80 per cent of your grievances have been resolved, by any standard or yardstick, it is more than satisfactory.
We would endeavour to honour the outstanding 20 per cent and keep the mutual respect of the two parties,” the Education Minister stated.
He recounted that the grievances related to the 40 per cent allowance, the rollover, and matters relating to market premium would be handled by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
Commenting on the issue of the Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD) paying the promotion-related salary adjustments and arrears to 56,003 teachers of the Ghana Education Service, he gave an assurance that all other outstanding issues would be addressed.
“In all the outstanding issues, I promise to work with the Minister of Finance and the FWSC to find a resolution to them.
So expect that normalcy will be restored to our schools across the country,” Mr Iddrisu said.
