The Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana says it will petition Parliament over government’s failure to address conditions of service concerns it has been complaining about for a while now.

Addressing the press on Tuesday, July 27, 2021, the National Chairman of the Association, Zakaria Mohammed, said the government was flouting the spirit of the Single Spine Salary Structure.

He further reiterated the association’s threat to resume its strike.

Members of the association are asking for the award of market premium and non-basic allowance, as well as the finalization of negotiations of their conditions of service.

Mr. Zakaria said the purpose of the Single Spine Salary structure “has been badly defeated by actions of the government through the Fair Wages and Salary Commission.”

“It is undoubtedly evidence enough that the government is going beyond or overstepping some boundaries or limits of the labour law on the basis of which Parliament of Ghana will be petitioned, and the nationwide strike resumed in due course,” Mr. Mohammed said.

The press conference came as the leadership of the association met officials of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission on Monday.

The association was hoping to have concluded negotiations on conditions of service by July 19, 2021.

It had threatened to go on strike again if the government failed to respond positively to the concerns it had raised about conditions of service.

The association is, among other things, demanding a payment plan for their tier-2 arrears and the finalization of their conditions of service.

Back on May 18, the association declared an indefinite strike over the failure of the government to pay their members Tier 2 pension contributions.

Members of the association are also asking for the award of market premium and non-basic allowance, as well as the finalization of negotiations of their conditions of service.

The association suspended its most recent strike on June 11 and expected positive signals from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.

But it said the lack of progress was frustrating its members.

The association also described the “loud silence” of the National Labour Commission on the matter as “not only worrying but also very shocking.”