Conference of Vice Chancellors moves to avert strike

The Conference of Vice Chancellors has scheduled a joint meeting with the Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (TEWU) and the Federation of University Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSSAG) to review their Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) as means to avert an impending strike.

The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 24.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra on Tuesday, Mr D. Ayim Antwi, General Secretary of TEWU, said the looming strike action was due to the delay in responding to a request for the review of the CBA.

He said TEWU had been calling for a review since May due to mounting tension among the employees but noone appeared to care until only last night, when a letter for the joint meeting was received.

Mr Antwi said the universities employees' action was also on the payment of the minimum wage.

He said last June a joint resolution from the two groups urged the management of the universities to take necessary steps "to secure a mandate and time for the review" but there had been no response either through letter or personal contact.

The resolution was also copied to several concerned bodies including the Ministers of Education, Finance and Manpower Development and Employment.

The National Tripartite Committee decided that the new National Minimum Wage of 5,500 cedis should take effect from May 1 and further directed that any institution /organization whose daily minimum wage fell below the new minimum wage should adjust accordingly.