SSAUOG joins labour unions’ strike in demand of COLA

Members of the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSAUOG) have embarked on an industrial strike.

The association joins labour unions that have embarked on strike to demand 20 per cent Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA).

The association has complained of failure by some public university managements to respect and implement the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission(GTEC)’s directive on promotion and failure to pay accrued interest on tier 2 pension.

The National Chairman of SSAUOG, Mr Isaac Donkor, also declaring the strike action in Accra, said the group was worried about “failure to regularise the appointment of casual and temporary staff who have worked for six years, failure to extend the award of interim market premium and failure to pay some generic allowances”.

He alleged that the Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Mr Benjamin Arthur, had threatened to block salaries of SSAUOG members if they went on strike.

Mr Donkor said, “We believe that his posture was intimidating and also an affront to the position he occupies as a public officer who preaches equity but practices none. We are daring him on his claim”.

He said that the posture of Mr Arthur triggered the resolve of members of the association to embark on the strike action, adding that government has not been fair to the senior staff of public universities in Ghana.

“In our candid opinion, the payment of allowance to selected few within the senior staff associations in public universities and our compatriots in other unions is unscientific and discriminatory,” Mr Donkor said.

The General Secretary of the Association, Hector Owoahene-Acheampong, lamented that senior staff in the public universities have been treated unfairly and the time had come for their demands to be met.

He said members of the association remained calm despite threats from the CEO of FWSC to suspend their salaries.

Mr Owoahene said that members of the association were also unhappy about the unpaid accrued interest on Tier 2 pension arrears and university salary disparities.

It was recalled that representatives of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) walked out of the negotiation with the government over their demands for COLA.

The two associations have accused government of betraying their trust by asking them to call off their strike before negotiations.

BY JESSEL LARTEY THERSON-COFIE