Public varsities unions walk off jobs …postpone commencement of 2024/2025 academic year

Some public universities in the country have postponed the commencement of the 2024/2025 academic year initially scheduled for this week, following an ongoing strike by several tertiary employee unions.

The University of Ghana (UG) and the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale have formerly communicated the decision in separate press statements issued by their management.

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science of Technology (KNUST) has not made a decision yet since its reopening date is in January, 2025, while administrative work has halted at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) pending a decision on the strike.

The university unions on strike include the Tertiary Education Workers Union (TEWU), Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), and the Federation of University Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSSAG).

They embarked on strike on Tuesday over a series of unresolved demands from the government, ranging from delayed pension contributions to the non-payment of allowances.

The Technical University Senior Administrators Association of Ghana (TUSAAG) has also announced plans to begin a nationwide strike starting today, Friday due to the government’s failure to meet obligations under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, specifically regarding revised allowances for senior staff members.

DAVID O. YARBOI-TETTEH reports from Cape Coast that the reopening date of the University of Cape Coast has not changed with the University still maintaining the original date for the students to be on campus.

The reopening date for the students as scheduled on the academic calendar was October 11.

Speaking to The Ghanaian Times, the Director of Public Affairs of UCC, Kofi Baah Bentum (rtd) said, the university management had not yet decided on the reopening date.

He explained that, any decision for a change would be communicated within the stipulated time.

The situation is still the same at the UEW as the reopening date for the university had been fixed in January 2025.

The University, had however, suspended a number of administrative work due to the strike action by the senior staff association.

The statement by the UG issued by the Office of the Registrar on Wednesday, informed students and stakeholders of the decision, which affects the entire academic community.

It clarified that special programmes would proceed as planned, noting that a new start date for the general academic year will be communicated once the situation stabilised.

The UDS statement issued yesterday announced an indefinite postponement of the reopening date for the 2024/2025 academic year, originally set for September 27, 2024. It said a new date would be announced.

The Executive Secretary of Vice Chancellors Ghana, Cynthia Sena Kpeglo, in an interview with Joy News said the universities were unable to operate without the essential services provided by the striking unions.

She pointed out that the absence of basic services like sanitation, utility management, and classroom maintenance would make it nearly impossible for teaching and learning to continue.

“Absolutely not, we can’t operate without the unions. We can’t study in a dirty classroom…These unions are in charge of utility services, sanitation and all those things and if they are not there, you can’t manage. Unless, maybe you want to outsource at a very high bill. It will be hard for universities to operate without this category of people,” she said.

BY TIMES REPORTERS