UTAG gives govt June 30 deadline to resolve service conditions or face a nationwide strike

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Universities Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has given the government until 30 June 2026 to resolve a range of outstanding conditions-of-service and welfare matters affecting members across Ghana’s public universities.

The decision was taken at UTAG’s statutory quarterly meeting held on Thursday, 18 June 2026, at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Ho, where the Council reviewed matters relating to member welfare, the governance of the Association, and the advancement of higher education in Ghana.

UTAG says the continuing delays are unacceptable and risk further undermining confidence in the collective bargaining process.

Key Issues Raised by UTAG

According to UTAG the unresolved matters include the following:

• Government has yet to sign the Interim Salary Adjustment Agreement, despite the successful conclusion of negotiations and the agreement of all parties. The interim adjustment is intended to provide temporary relief pending the comprehensive salary review to be undertaken by the Independent Emoluments Commission (IEC), expected to take effect from January 2027.

• Challenges relating to post-retirement contract renewals and academic staff rollover persist following the reversal of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) directive. Continued delays in the approval, regularization, and placement of affected staff on payroll by GTEC, CAGD, and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) are adversely affecting staffing and the effective operation of universities.

• The Government component of the Online Teaching Support Allowance (OTSA) for Research Fellows and Academic Librarians remains outstanding.

• Salary arrears due to some staff of UniMAC and Promotion arrears due to qualified staff in several public universities remain unpaid, creating anxiety and dissatisfaction among affected members

• The University component of OTSA for staff of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) remains unpaid. 

• The processing and payment of the 2026 Book and Research Allowance have been unduly delayed, contrary to established practice. Government Action Required UTAG is therefore calling on Government to take immediate steps to:

 • Sign and implement the Interim Salary Adjustment Agreement. 

• Resolve all post-retirement contract and rollover challenges affecting universities.

• Pay the Government component of OTSA due to Research Fellows and Academic Librarians.

 • Facilitate the payment of the University component of OTSA for UESD staff. 

• Settle all outstanding promotion arrears.

 • Facilitate the payment of salary arrears for Institute of Languages and Institute of Film and Television staff of the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC)

 • Expedite the processing and payment of the 2026 Book and Research Allowance.

Next Steps

UTAG maintains that the delays are inconsistent with the principles of good-faith collective bargaining and with commitments made by Government to organised labour.

UTAG has warned that if the outstanding matters are not satisfactorily resolved by 30 June 2026, all branches will, within five working days of this release, begin consultations to secure the necessary mandates from members for appropriate industrial action in accordance with the UTAG Constitution and the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).

Commitment to Constructive Engagement

While reaffirming its unwavering commitment to dialogue, negotiation, and constructive engagement, UTAG emphasised that the persistent failure to honour duly negotiated agreements undermines confidence in the collective bargaining process and threatens industrial harmony within Ghana’s public universities.

UTAG therefore calls on Government to demonstrate good faith by honouring, without further delay, all commitments made to university teachers.