‘Our members are frustrated’ – GAUA on stalled talks with government

The Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) says its members are frustrated by what they describe as the lack of attention to their outstanding grievances, as their strike continues to disrupt administrative services at public universities.

National General Secretary of GAUA, Charles Jojo Aidoo, said the association has been negotiating with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) for about two months, but no significant progress has been made.

Mr Aidoo said GAUA has about six or seven grievances, none of which has been addressed so far.

“Honestly, our members are frustrated. We are all frustrated that we are not getting the attention that we expect,” he said on Joy FM’s Middaynews.

GAUA declared the strike in August after negotiations with government over the payment of negotiated and approved allowances failed to produce a resolution.

The association is also pushing for action to address what it describes as disparities in allowances and other conditions of service for university administrators.

The strike has disrupted administrative services at universities, including the University of Ghana and the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC).

At the University of Ghana, students have encountered difficulties with course registration, accommodation arrangements and access to the university’s online portal.

First-semester registration for the 2026/2027 academic year has also been put on hold due to the ongoing industrial action.

Mr Aidoo said the frustrations of members are compounded by concerns over their conditions of service.

He said GAUA represents professionals working in various capacities within universities, including medical doctors, lawyers, chartered accountants, auditors, human resource professionals and procurement specialists.

“From 2008, we don’t have any conditions of service,” he said.

Mr Aidoo said the association has raised the issue repeatedly over the years but believes its concerns have not received the required attention.

“We are still engaging the parties, and we believe that by the end of this month, we should be able to make progress,” he said.

He maintained that GAUA remains committed to negotiations and hopes the outstanding issues can be resolved to pave the way for an end to the strike.