The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has issued a strong warning of a possible nationwide strike if delays in the payment of the book and research allowance are not urgently resolved.
UTAG, together with the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) and the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), say the government’s delay in releasing the exchange rate needed to calculate the allowance has created growing frustration among their members.
According to the unions, the allowance is a statutory entitlement under their conditions of service and plays a critical role in supporting academic research and teaching. They argue that the prolonged delay is affecting academic work across public tertiary institutions.
Following a joint meeting held on June 8, the unions expressed concern over what they described as “undue delays” in the payment process. They stressed that while they may accommodate a late release of the exchange rate, they will not accept any further extension of payments beyond September.
The unions have therefore given the government a deadline of June 13 to begin the payment process. They warned that failure to meet this deadline will be treated as an official strike notice, potentially triggering industrial action across universities, technical universities, and colleges of education nationwide.
They have urged the government to act swiftly to prevent disruption to the academic calendar and to ensure stability within the tertiary education sector.
