Public Universities in Ghana are on the verge of an imminent shutdown within the coming weeks until lecturers at present on strike for over 4 weeks return to work.
The lecturers who’re a part of the nationwide umbrella physique known as the College Academics Affiliation of Ghana (UTAG) downed their chalks on January 10, 2022, over poor working situations.
The lecturers’ union stated the federal government had refused to implement a pay coverage that pegs their primary wage and market premium at $2,084 (€1,824). A market premium fee is a wage bonus for a particular personnel whose posts have been recognized as ‘onerous to fill.’
This fee prevents employees like college lecturers from abandoning their jobs to different sectors and even touring overseas to show elsewhere.
UTAG’s management stated that since December 2021, when their members migrated to Ghana’s Single Backbone Wage Construction (SSSS), their primary premiums have decreased to $997.
There are fears {that a} extended lecturers’ strike in Ghana might result in campus shutdowns
Pushing for redress
One of many College lecturers affiliation leaders, Dr. Felix Longi Yakubu Tonsuglo, instructed DW that their strike has turn into essential to drive the federal government to deal with their appalling working situations.
“Our salaries have eroded. From 2013, we had an interim market premium of 114% of our primary (wage), which gave us a cedi equal of $2,084. However, as we converse now, that worth has eroded to 52%,” Tonsuglo stated. “Proper now, what a lecturer takes [home] is only a cedi equal of 900 {dollars}.”
Moreover growing their salaries, the lecturers additionally demand elevated guide and analysis allowances.
The continued strike might quickly cross the 31-day mark, requiring college managers to close down these public establishments. However thus far, there is no sign of a decision.
When the lecturers began their strike, the nation’s Nationwide Labour Fee swiftly sued them, saying they might not proceed industrial motion whereas negotiating with the federal government, which is their employer. The lecturers have rejected requires them to finish the strike. On February 4, a court docket requested the fighters to resolve the deadlock out of court docket.
Ghana’s schooling minister, Yaw Osei Adutwum, instructed reporters that they’d made essential choices because the court docket order. “As minister of schooling, I’m a chief advocate and can do all the pieces doable to make sure that this strike ends and their [lecturers’] calls for are additionally thought of. Additional dialogue occurs on the finish of the strike,” Adutwum stated.
Vice-Chancellors Ghana — the umbrella physique of managers of public universities — have stated they hope the lecturers and the federal government will quickly attain an settlement to stop the overall closure of universities.
Dr. Felix Longi Yakubu, a lecturers’ affiliation chief, says the occupation is underpaid
Empty lecture halls
“We’re doing all the pieces doable to make sure our lecturers get again to the lecture halls,” Professor Okoe Amartey instructed reporters in Ghana’s capital Accra.
“We now have been speaking to our lecturers on the assorted campuses. We’re coming to interact them additional. We’re interesting to them to return to the lecture halls whereas negotiation continues,” Amartey stated.
The federal government has for weeks now didn’t get the lecturers again to the classroom. Nevertheless, confronted with the actual prospect of locking down all public schools, schooling minister, Adutwum, instructed journalists that his ministry is working onerous to get the tutors again to work.
“Our college students are ready, and we’ll do all the pieces doable to be sure that our lecturers return to the classroom,” the minister stated.
President Nana Akufo-Addo’s authorities says it working onerous to finish the lecturers’ strike
Rising college students’ frustration
Whereas the federal government appeals and hopes the lecturers name off their strike earlier than later, the influence on college students is changing into extreme. Hundreds of native and worldwide college students have been stranded for weeks.
One worldwide pupil from Cuba learning drugs on the College of Growth research in northern Ghana instructed DW that the strike had affected her funds and annoyed her research.
“You realize we’ve a finances. Our mother and father ship us cash for one month, and if you end up not going to highschool, it’s like you’re losing the cash,” the 20-year-old Cuban pupil, who selected to stay nameless, stated.
“It’s my first time seeing one thing like this. Persons are happening strike due to the cash. It’s my first time. It’s new to me. In my nation, we do not have this.” Native college students used to such strikes are additionally stranded and hoping for a fast decision.
Strikes aren’t new in Ghanaian public universities. The similar Ghanaian lecturers went on strike final yr for comparable causes. They known as it off days later after a collection of negotiations with the federal government,
Looking for a long-lasting resolution
“We’re calling on our lecturers, on the federal government, and all stakeholders to return collectively and ensure our lecturers return to the classroom,” Emmanuel Boakye Yiadom, president of the Nationwide Union of Ghana College students (NUGS), instructed journalists.
“However earlier than they return, they need to be a long-lasting resolution the place the lecturers might not see the necessity or the sense of returning to the strike once more,” Yiadom added.
A minimum of 15 public universities are at present affected by the continued strike by the lecturers.
It’s not solely in Ghana that lecturers are agitating for higher working situations. In Nigeria, the Educational Workers Union of Universities has additionally raised points over the poor working situations. The college lecturers have threatened to embark on a nationwide strike to struggle for his or her calls for.
Ought to this menace be carried out in Nigeria, it is going to be the second main strike in two years after the earlier one lasted for 9 months resulting in the lack of nearly one full educational yr.
Maxwell Suuk in Ghana contributed to this text.
Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu