The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Universities Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has given government up to June 30, 2026 to address a series of outstanding conditions of service and welfare concerns affecting academic staff across the country’s public universities.
The decision was taken at UTAG’s statutory quarterly meeting held on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho, where the Council reviewed issues relating to member welfare, governance of the association, and the broader state of higher education in Ghana.
According to UTAG, the continued delays in resolving the issues are unacceptable and risk undermining confidence in the collective bargaining process between government and organised labour.
Among the key issues raised is the failure by government to sign the Interim Salary Adjustment Agreement, despite negotiations being concluded and consensus reached by all parties. The agreement is intended to provide temporary relief ahead of a comprehensive salary review by the Independent Emoluments Commission (IEC), which is expected to take effect in January 2027.
UTAG also highlighted persistent challenges surrounding post-retirement contract renewals and academic staff rollover arrangements. The association noted that delays in approval, regularisation, and placement of affected staff on the payroll by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD), and the Ministry of Finance are disrupting staffing levels and affecting the smooth operation of universities.
In addition, the association said the government’s component of the Online Teaching Support Allowance (OTSA) for Research Fellows and Academic Librarians remains unpaid. It further noted that salary arrears owed to some staff at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), as well as promotion arrears in several public universities, are yet to be settled.
UTAG also raised concerns over unpaid institutional components of OTSA for staff of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), as well as delays in processing and payment of the 2026 Book and Research Allowance.
The association is calling on government to urgently sign and implement the Interim Salary Adjustment Agreement, resolve all post-retirement contract and rollover challenges, and settle outstanding allowances and arrears across affected institutions.
Specifically, UTAG is demanding payment of the government component of OTSA for Research Fellows and Academic Librarians, facilitation of the UESD OTSA institutional component, payment of promotion arrears, settlement of salary arrears for affected UniMAC staff, and expedited processing of the 2026 Book and Research Allowance.
UTAG has warned that if the outstanding issues are not resolved by the deadline of June 30, 2026, all branches will within five working days begin consultations to obtain mandates from members for possible industrial action, in line with the UTAG Constitution and the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).
The association stressed that the delays are inconsistent with good-faith collective bargaining principles and prior commitments made by government to organised labour.
Despite the ultimatum, UTAG reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement, dialogue, and negotiation.
However, it cautioned that persistent failure to honour agreed terms risks eroding trust in the collective bargaining process and threatens industrial harmony within Ghana’s public university system.
UTAG has therefore urged government to demonstrate good faith by fulfilling all outstanding obligations without further delay.
