Iddrisu Begs GAUA To Halt Strike, Seeks One Month
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has appealed to striking university administrators to suspend their industrial action and grant government a one-month window to resolve longstanding payment arrears, a move aimed at restoring normalcy across public tertiary institutions.
Speaking during a meeting with representatives of the Ghana Association of University Administrators and the Technical University Senior Administrators Association of Ghana on Monday, August 17 2026, Mr Iddrisu said the administration was committed to addressing the grievances that precipitated the walkout. He requested validated beneficiary data to expedite processing.
“I want you to give me one month to resolve the issues, and I want you to furnish me with the data to help the resolution,” the Minister stated. The central contention remains a one-time research allowance owed to non-teaching senior staff of public universities. The Minister directed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to submit audited beneficiary information by Tuesday morning to enable the Ministry of Finance to commence validation and disbursement procedures.
The dispute has already disrupted academic calendars, with institutions such as the University of Health and Allied Sciences suspending scheduled examinations. GAUA and TUSAAG initiated the strike on August 11 over unresolved matters including salary disparities, market premium adjustments and outstanding allowances. TUSAAG had earlier suspended a similar action in December following ministerial intervention, but resumed after agreed deadlines in March and April were not met.
In a related directive, GTEC has instructed specified senior management officials including Vice-Chancellors, Registrars and Directors of Finance to resume duties, arguing that they are not eligible to participate in industrial action. Vice-Chancellors have been given 48 hours to submit compliance registers. Following the meeting, GAUA leadership requested 48 hours to consult members and is expected to communicate a decision by Wednesday. If accepted, the government would have until mid-September to settle the outstanding payments under the proposed timeline.
The Minister urged restraint and industrial harmony, emphasizing that restoring administrative operations is critical to safeguarding the academic year. The coming days will determine whether the appeal secures a temporary truce or whether the strike persists pending further negotiations.
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Author: Korkor Anumu
