The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) chapter of the Tertiary Education Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU-GH) is threatening to embark on a strike action to protest cancellation of car maintenance allowances of Junior Staff.
It follows a letter from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) advising the Vice Chancellor of KNUST; to exclude Car Maintenance allowances from the remunerations of Junior Staff.
The letter makes reference to a correspondence from the Fair wages and Salaries commission (FWSC) which recommends that junior staff do not qualify for car allowances under the administrative rules and procedures for Implementing Categories 2 and 3 allowances in public service.
Addressing a news conference; KNUST Chair of TEWU-GH Charles Arthur vehemently argued that members of TEWU-GH take their appointments directly from the University and agree on their codified conditions of service independent of the rules of the public services commission.
He contended, “We are public universities. We are not public service and so, that administrative rule and regulation is not applicable to public universities,”
“We don’t get our appointment letters from the public service commission. They are not our employers. The vice chancellor did not get her appointment from the public service commission but the University Council. Every other person who is lower gets their appointment from the Vice Chancellor”.
He further insisted, “Some time ago, they brought this same issue about overtime allowances for senior staff under this same rule and we said it was not applicable AND THEY STOPPED. We don’t know how they will come back again using that same thing that is not applicable to us, against us.”
Declaration of Strike
Mr. Arthur announced that members of TEWU-GH who constitute about a thousand staff on the KNUST campus will strike if the University Management goes ahead to exclude the payment of car maintenance allowances from the remunerations of Junior staff.
“We are saying that if they stop paying car allowances to our members, we will strike. We will lay down our tools. We have satisfied the requirements of laying down our tools as enshrined in the labour act 615 Act 2003; Section 159,” he cautioned.
Charles Arthur disclosed that apart from notifying their direct employers, notices have been served on the National Labour Commission, the Minister of Education, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission and the Chief of Staff.
Bad Faith
TEWU-GH also accused the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission of exhibiting bad faith in issuing definitive directives on car maintenance allowances while the National Labour Commission has been petitioned to properly adjudicate and interpret the eligibility criteria.
“How can the Director General of GTEC Prof Jinapor even write to the Vice Chancellor minus us when the matter is about us? How can you do that in an institution of higher learning?” he questioned.
“It is bad faith, we condemn that and insist that the Sector Minister should intervene otherwise, we should not be blamed,” he warned.
Industrial actions of TEWU-GH have historically had dire consequences on the University as members include KNUST Basic School teachers, staff of the KNUST Hospital and Fire Station, Cleaners, Janitors and other critical ancillary faculty staff of the University.
