Three unions have threatened to embark on industrial action on August 9, 2024, if the Ministry of Finance fails to authorize the payment of agreed allowances by August 8, 2024.
The unions involved are the Senior Staff Association-Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), the Federation of Senior Staff Associations of Ghana (FUSSAG), and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union of the Trade Union Congress (TEWU-TUC).
The planned strike stems from concerns over the Finance Ministry’s failure to issue a letter authorizing the payment of the Vehicle Maintenance Allowance (VMA) and other related allowances.
In a statement dated August 5, the unions expressed their frustration, warning that failure to act would leave them with no choice but to take industrial action.
“The unions have given the government (Ministry) up to the close of work on Thursday 8th August to release the letter. Failure to do so will result in the unions being forced to take industrial action on the 9th of August, 2024.
The SSA-UoG, FUSSAG and TEWU (TUC) are committed to fighting for the rights of their members and will not rest until justice is served,” the statement read.
The unions accused the Ministry of Finance of ignoring multiple attempts to engage on the matter, despite the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission having already written to the Ministry to facilitate the payment.
The unions also criticized the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for allegedly halting the payment of the new rate by universities.
“Now the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission is ordering the universities not to pay the new rate until a letter from the Ministry authorizing the payment is released.
In that case, even those who are receiving the new rate are going to be denied the new rate, while those who are on the Controller payroll still remain where they are,” the unions alleged.
They further claimed that the government was using “Machiavellian tactics” to delay the payment of allowances that had already been agreed upon.
