The Teachers and Educational Workers Union of the Trade Union Congress (TEWU-TUC) has stepped up its industrial action, directing all members to remain at home until government renews their conditions of service, which they describe as outdated and unfair.
The union officially withdrew its services on Friday, September 19, 2025, in all technical and public universities, the Ghana Library Authority, and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.
This action follows years of negotiations that union leaders say have been met with delays, broken promises, and government inaction.
Speaking at an emergency meeting with members at the University of Ghana, TEWU-TUC Chairperson, Salamatu Mahamah Braimah, declared that the strike will not be suspended until concrete steps are taken to address workers’ demands.
“Until then, you are to stay at home,” she told members. “We cannot continue to operate under an expired condition of service from 2008 to date. We are saying that enough is enough.”
Mrs. Braimah stressed that the strike could only be called off if the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission is given full authorization from the Ministry of Finance and other government employers to finalize negotiations.
“All conditions of service have to be finalized and signed by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission before we also suspend the strike,” she said, reiterating the union’s stance that no amount of pressure or persuasion without a signed agreement would be enough to change their decision.
The strike has since gained the backing of allied bodies, including the Technical Universities Non-Teaching Staff Association of Ghana (TUNTAG), non-teaching staff of the Ghana Education Service, employees of the Ghana Library Authority, and workers at the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.
Together, they have declared an indefinite nationwide strike, citing government’s persistent failure to renew expired agreements.
Union leaders, addressing the press, rejected claims that their decision to strike was politically influenced.
They emphasized their neutrality and commitment to workers’ welfare, with one spokesperson stating, “We are unionists, not politicians. Our constitution makes it clear that unions do not have friends; we only pursue the common interest of our members.
This matter has persisted across successive governments, and it is important to state that we are not targeting any particular administration.”
The standoff traces back to November 2024 when the National Labour Commission (NLC) directed the unions to suspend an earlier strike to allow negotiations to continue. In compliance, the unions agreed and extended deadlines several times, including up to March 2025.
Despite repeated assurances, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) failed to conclude negotiations.
In July 2025, FWSC invited the unions to sign rules of engagement with a promise to begin negotiations the following week.
That promise was never fulfilled. By August 27, 2025, the unions lodged a formal complaint after what they described as fruitless engagements.
With the September deadline passed and no agreement in place, the unions formally notified their employers and the NLC of their decision to strike.
On September 19, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations invited union leaders for talks, urging them to suspend the strike while discussions with the Ministry of Finance continued.
The unions declined, insisting that they had exercised patience long enough.
“This matter did not start today. We have exercised patience and followed due process under the Labour Act 651 of 2003. Without a concrete commitment from government, we cannot suspend this strike,” the leadership said.
Mrs. Braimah and other union executives insist their action is lawful, justified, and one of the most legitimate strikes declared under Ghana’s labour laws.
They have directed members across all affected institutions to remain at home until their conditions of service are renewed and signed, warning that any further delays would only deepen the crisis.
The strike is already disrupting administrative and support services across Ghana’s universities, the Ghana Education Service, libraries, and cultural institutions, raising concerns about its potential impact on the education sector and national heritage institutions.
