NLC secures injunction to stop strike by Universities’ Senior Staff

The National Labour Commission (NLC) has obtained an interlocutory injunction against the industrial action embarked upon by the Senior Staff Association, Universities of Ghana (SSA-UOG).

Wednesday’s [February 3, 2021] court order directs all members of the association to call off their strike and return to work with immediate effect.

The Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana has been on a nationwide strike since January 2, 2021, to demand improved conditions and payment of outstanding Tier-2 contributions of its retired members.

It is also demanding an improved market premium and non-basic allowance as well as the migration of public universities onto the Controller and Accountant General payroll system.

But the NLC in its latest statement to announce the injunction further ordered the group to comply with its earlier directive to suspend the industrial action.

“The National Labour Commission has on Wednesday, February 3, 2021, secured an Interlocutory injunction from the High Court of Justice (LABOUR Court 1), calling on members of the Senior Staff Association, Universities of Ghana (SSA-UOG), their Executives, Officers, Members, Agents, Servants,
Employees or Other Persons to call off their industrial strike action”, the press release announced.

It further ordered the group to comply with the following directive:

1. To call off the strike action immediately.
2. That the parties should go back to the negotiation table to negotiate in good faith on the non- basic allowance and when the Tier 2 Pension arrears would be paid.
3. That the parties are given three (3) months to engage in the negotiations and report to the Commission.
4. That the government should do everything possible to pay the pension arrears that are outstanding by the end of March 2021.

Last week, the National Labour Commission told the union to call off its strike saying the association failed to exhaust all laid down procedures before declaring the strike.

But the striking workers said matters of law were non-negotiable.

The union also stated that it had never shied away from negotiations, accusing the government of acting in bad faith.

Senior Staff threaten to sue government over tier two pension grievances

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana has threatened to take legal action against the government to demand the payment of Tier-two pension contributions to its members.

At a press briefing, the National Chairman of the Association, Mohammed Zakaria said the government was breaching the Pensions Act.

“Per the provision of the Act, the government has acted fraudulently and the union will take legal action against the government,” he contended.

Mr. Zakaria complained that most of its members “have served the universities and mother Ghana wholeheartedly between 25 and 30 years and gone home with a meagre amount of GHS3,000.”