The National Labour Commission (NLC) has directed Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UOG) to immediately call off their strike and return to the negotiating table.

At a meeting between the SSA-UOG and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the National Pension Regulatory Authority to discuss the non-payment of tier 2 pension arrears, delay in the award of market premium and non-basic allowance and failure by the FWSC to engage SSA-UOG on their conditions of service, it was concluded that the strike action must be called off.

The NLC further directed that the parties go back to the negotiation table in good faith on the non-basic allowance and when the tier 2 pension allowance would be paid.

The NLC gave the parties three months to engage in the negotiations and report to the commission.

The NLC also urged the government to do everything possible to pay the pension arrears that is outstanding by end of March 2021.

It is recalled the National Executive Council (NEC) of the SSA-UOG, on 13 January 2021 wrote a letter to the NLC, serving notice of their intention to embark on the industrial strike “as a result of government's persistent failure and the total disregard for their concerns”.

The letter cited non-payment of tier-2 pension arrears, market premium and non-basic allowance and migration of Public universities onto the Controller and Accountant General payroll system as some of their concerns.

They also mentioned failure by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to engage them on their conditions of service as another concern, adding that all attempts to engage stakeholders to address the concerns have been unsuccessful.