Sacked staff of Central University demand entitlements

Some 67 senior and junior staff of the Central University College who were recently sacked by authorities are demanding reasons for the action as well as their entitlements.

They indicate that they are entitled to the sum of 3 months gross salary payment in lieu of notice and 3 months gross salary for each year worked with the University with monthly earnings which include basic salary, general professional allowance, transport and travel allowance, provident fund and social security.

According to a letter through their lawyers, the dismissed staff revealed they were not given reasons for their sack via text messages and want the matter taken up stating: “Our clients are willing to pursue an out-of-court settlement on terms that entitle them to the sum of 3 months gross salary payment in lieu of notice and 3 months gross salary for each year worked with the University. Our monthly earnings include basic salary, general professional allowance, transport and travel allowance, provident fund and social security. Senior members are also entitled to book and research allowance which you have not paid since the beginning of the academic year”.

“ Our clients have not given reasons for the redundancy, neither have they been given the selection criteria for their inclusion in the separation process, an action that amounts to targeting them for the free expression of their opinions and unfair termination under the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651)”.

They also described the imposition of terms on the dismissed staff as a practical violation of the laws of Ghana.

“You are seeking to impose on our Clients 3 months basic salary in lieu of the 3 months’ notice of termination for senior members and as applicable to the other ranks and a one-month basic salary for each year they have worked in Central University their separation package”.

“As a reputable Christian University, you should have done much more to assess the impact of your action on my clients and to follow the dictates of the law in making allowances for arm’s length negotiation rather than imposing your will on them. Should this matter proceed to trial, it will become clear what formal steps, if any, Central University took to alleviate the concerns of your own staff and the impact that will have on admission in the coming year”, a section of the letter read.

It would be recalled that 67 senior and junior staff of the Central University College have been sacked in what management claims is a general staff retrenchment.

The affected staff were fired via text messages and given three-days to vacate their positions, a development that appears to have angered a section of them who have worked with the institution for close to nineteen years.

Checks by mynewsgh.com indicate that the affected staff from various departments at Mataheko and Miotso campuses of the University belonging to the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), were given one month salary prior to their dismissal.