GAUA reactivates nationwide strike over interim market premium disparity

The Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has reactivated its nationwide industrial action, directing members in all public universities to withdraw their services effective Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The decision follows what the Association describes as a breakdown in negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) over the implementation of a 2012 Compulsory Arbitration Award and other outstanding conditions of service. GAUA, together with the Technical Universities Senior Administrators’ Association of Ghana (TUSAAG), had earlier suspended its strike on August 19, 2026, following an intervention by the Minister for Education to facilitate engagements with the FWSC, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and other government agencies. According to GAUA, during a meeting on August 25, the FWSC acknowledged what the Association describes as a disparity in the Interim Market Premium (IMP) between Senior Members Teaching, represented by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), and Senior Members Non-Teaching, represented by GAUA. The Association says the FWSC subsequently requested time to consult the Ministry of Finance and undertake financial computations, with a follow-up meeting scheduled for September 1. GAUA, however, says it was neither invited to the proposed follow-up meeting nor provided with feedback on the outcome of the consultations. ‘I told Akufo-Addo to give you the work but you sacked my driver’ -Titus-Glover to ex-VALCO CEO In a letter dated September 14, GAUA said it was therefore surprised by a September 4 communication from the FWSC indicating that it could not meet the Association's demands. At the centre of the dispute is a Compulsory Arbitration Award issued by the National Labour Commission on December 17, 2012. According to GAUA and TUSAAG, the award established parity between GAUA and UTAG and pegged the Interim Market Premium for both groups at 114 percent of basic salary. The associations contend that while UTAG's Interim Market Premium has subsequently been increased by government, the rate applicable to GAUA and TUSAAG members has remained unchanged. They argue that the situation has created what they describe as a significant income disparity between teaching and non-teaching senior members who were placed on parity under the 2012 arbitration ruling. GAUA is therefore demanding that increases granted to UTAG/TUTAG in the Interim Market Premium be correspondingly extended to GAUA/TUSAAG members. The associations are also demanding the restoration of the placement of Directors of Works and their equivalents from 24L to 25L, Deputy Registrars, Deputy Directors of Finance and their equivalents from 24L to 24H, Senior Assistant Registrars, Senior Accountants and their equivalents from 22H to 23L and Assistant Registrars, Accountants and their equivalents from 21L to 22H. Other demands include payment of a one-time research allowance, restoration of the retirement age of GAUA/TUSAAG members to the end of the academic year, implementation of a fifth tier on the salary scale and payment of a 40 percent allowance to professional staff on the Controller and Accountant-General's payroll, as contained in a negotiated agreement dated April 22, 2026. The associations are further calling for the immediate withdrawal of a GTEC letter dated August 17, 2026, which they say threatened some GAUA/TUSAAG members against embarking on or participating in the strike. In a circular to members dated September 13, GAUA described the action as a “strike of no return” and ordered a total withdrawal of services until further notice. The affected services include human resource services, secretarial and administrative services, committee meetings, information technology, financial services, hospital administration, works and estates, guidance and counselling, internal audit and other professional services provided by GAUA members. The Association directed all categories of senior non-teaching staff, including Directors, Deputy Directors, Deputy Registrars, Senior Assistant Registrars, Senior Accountants, Assistant Registrars and Accountants, to stay away from work. Members have also been instructed not to perform official duties either physically or virtually. GAUA maintains that its demands are not for a new negotiation but for the implementation of the 2012 National Labour Commission arbitration award. The Association says its notice to the National Labour Commission remains active and that it remains committed to dialogue, but wants concrete steps and clear timelines from the FWSC towards restoring the parity established by the arbitration panel. The nationwide strike took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. AM GBA president 'attacks' Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie at 2026 Bar Conference Over SOE Comments Inside Zonda Tec’s Ultra-Modern Car Assembly Plant in Ghana Source: www.ghanaweb.com
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