The National Labour Commission (NLC) has summoned four major tertiary education unions and their employers over the ongoing strike disrupting higher education institutions across Ghana.
The affected unions include the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), the Teachers’ and Educational Workers Union (TEWU-TUC), the Federation of University Senior Staff Associations of Ghana (FUSSAG), and the Technical Universities Administrators Association of Ghana (TUAAG).
The directive follows a High Court ruling on February 13, 2026, which declared the strike illegal and ordered the workers to immediately call off the industrial action. The court also restrained the unions from continuing the stoppage.
In a letter signed by the Acting Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr Bernice A. Welbeck, the unions and their employers were instructed to appear before the NLC on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. The meeting is scheduled to hold at the Commission’s office located on the fifth floor of the Ghana Olympic Committee Building near Ridge Hospital in Accra.
According to the NLC, the engagement is aimed at restoring normal academic activities while addressing the grievances raised by the unions.
The strike, which began in early February, was triggered by alleged breaches of agreed conditions of service and outstanding financial obligations. The unions have accused government agencies and public universities of unilaterally replacing overtime allowances for senior staff with a “call-in allowance,” citing guidelines from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. They argue that the move violates a 2021 agreement recognising overtime entitlements.
The industrial action has significantly disrupted lectures, examinations, and administrative operations in public universities nationwide.
Although government officials, including the Deputy Minister of Education, have appealed to the unions to reconsider their position and pursue dialogue, the strike has persisted into its second week.
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