By Philip Antoh
The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, has appealed to striking university unions to call off their industrial action to protect teaching and learning across public universities.
Dr. Apaak made the appeal after chairing a meeting at the Ministry of Education on behalf of the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, with the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG).
The meeting held on 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, Dr. George Smith-Graham.
In a Facebook post after the engagement, Dr. Apaak said the discussions were frank and constructive, focusing on the issues that triggered the ongoing strike by senior university staff.
“On behalf of President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister for 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.
“I urged them to also continue with their engagements with the National Labour Commission to reach an amicable resolution,” Dr. Apaak added.
Members of the SSA-UoG on Tuesday declared a nationwide strike to protest recent changes to their conditions of service by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
The association argues that the adjustments were imposed without adequate consultation and are detrimental to the welfare of senior staff in public universities.
According to the SSA-UoG, the variations affect key aspects of their service conditions and undermine previously agreed arrangements, leaving members with little option but to embark on industrial action.
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, a state institution mandated to regulate salaries, wages, and working conditions for public sector workers, is responsible for setting pay policies, allowances, and benefits across government-funded institutions, including universities.
The ongoing strike is already having implications for academic and administrative work, with lectures, examinations, and routine university operations disrupted in several institutions.
Dr. Apaak said the government remains committed to dialogue and consensus-building, stressing that sustained engagement among all parties is essential to restoring calm on campuses and ensuring that students are not unduly affected by the dispute.