The National Labour Commission (NLC) has given four tertiary education unions and government agencies one month to negotiate on unresolved issues concerning salary arrears, Tier 2 pension contributions, and overtime allowances.

On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, the NLC convened a meeting to address the strike declared by the Senior Staff Association – Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), Federation of University Senior Staff Associations of Ghana (FUSSAG), Technical Universities Administrators Association of Ghana (TUAAG), and Teachers’ and Educational Workers Union of the Trades Union Congress (TEWU-TUC).

Officials from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Ministry of Education, and the unions were present at the meeting.

In a statement dated Thursday, February 19, NLC noted that the unions informed the Commission that they had called off their strike effective February 16, 2026, following a court order restraining the continuation of the industrial action.

During the meeting, the unions raised concerns about unpaid salary arrears linked to staff upgrading at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Ghana Institute of Languages (GIL), and Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), delayed Tier 2 contributions to fund managers pending for more than six months, and the unilateral alteration of overtime conditions by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).

After interrogating the facts, the NLC determined that the effective date of migration to the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) was January 1, 2026, making salary arrears not applicable, that part of the Tier 2 contributions had been paid, and that allowances, including overtime, are negotiated by the Public Service Joint Standing Negotiating Committee (PSJSNC) under Category 2 and 3 allowances.

The Commission has directed that parties further engage on salary arrears, timelines for the release of outstanding Tier 2 contributions, and negotiate overtime allowances in good faith, ensuring all relevant documents are exchanged to facilitate settlement.

“The parties are given one month to report,” NLC stated.

“Furthermore, the National Labour Commission directs that on representation before the Commission, all parties must ensure at all times that persons with authority with appropriate mandate and capacity must appear and/or nominated to speak to issues,” NLC added.

The Commission has adjourned the case to March 25, 2026 at 2:00 pm for progress reporting.