The National Labour Commission (NLC) has directed the Senior Staff Association (SSA) of the University of Ghana (UG) to call off an intended industrial action and appear before the commission today for further deliberations.

In a letter dated June 8, 2021, and addressed to the National Chairman of the SSA-UG, the NLC said in exercise of its powers under Section 139 (d) of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), it wished to draw the attention of the association to a contravention of Section 127(3) of Act 651 should it proceed on the industrial action.

Association’s letter

The NLC’s letter was in response to a separate letter from the SSA-UG, also dated June 8, 2021, which sought to inform the commission of the association’s directive to its members providing essential services to “completely lay down their tools with immediate effect until further notice”.

“The complaint notes that the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) is currently engaged in negotiations with the SSA-UG over the issues in dispute. This notwithstanding, the association has decided that its members providing essential services should withdraw their services and join the ongoing industrial action,” the NLC letter said.

It said failure to abide by the directive would compel the commission to enforce compliance.

Background

The association suspended an earlier strike on February 9, 2021, to hold talks with the NLC over delays in the payment of the Tier II pension of its members from the year 2010-2016.

However, the President of the association, Mr George Ansong, said the government had failed to address the concerns of the association, which also included market premium and other outstanding issues.

Subsequent talks between the government and the association led to a March 31, 2021, deadline for the resolution of their grievances.

However, in a statement dated May 6, 2021, and addressed to the Executive Secretary of the NLC, the SSA-UG said the government had failed again to make true its promises to the association.

The association is demanding the payment of Tier II pensions of its members (2010-2016), payment of market premium and non-basic allowance, and finalisation of negotiations on their conditions of service by the FWSC.