The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has called on the government and University senior staff Association to as a matter of urgency resolve all matters concerning the ongoing strike action by various university staff groups.
The Senior Staff Association embarked on strike action on January 17 to protest the government’s delay in releasing tier-two pension funds and a directive by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, for the cancellation of payment of overtime allowance for weekend and holiday work.
Meanwhile, in a statement dated January 24, 2024, NUGS noted that “While we respect the right of unions to advocate for their members, we emphasize the significant impact this strike has on the academic well-being of students across the country”.
They also mentioned that “Understanding the importance of dialogue, NUGS calls upon both the government and the unions to engage in immediate and constructive negotiations” to allow university staff to return to their posts.
Despite urging the government to immediately address concerns raised by the various unions, the students have also appealed to the unions to consider returning to their duties while negotiations between them and the government continue.
“In the spirit of fostering a conducive learning environment, we appeal to the unions to consider returning to their duties while negotiations continue. This temporary return to work would alleviate the burden on students and ensure that the dialogue process takes place without further hindrance”, NUGS added.
Below is the statement