Leaders of non-teaching staff unions in Ghana’s public universities have emphatically rejected a retirement policy directive issued by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), demanding its immediate suspension and review. The unions say the policy which alters the timing and conditions of retirement for affected workers was imposed without meaningful consultation and risks triggering significant disruption across campuses if not withdrawn promptly.
The response from the non-teaching unions is one of the most forceful labour reactions in recent years within Ghana’s tertiary education sector, highlighting escalating tensions between university staff and regulatory authorities in the country.
Unions reject GTEC retirement directive
In a jointly signed statement, leaders of multiple non-teaching unions described the GTEC mandate as “unfair, arbitrary and discriminatory,” accusing the regulator of failing to engage with unions before issuing significant changes to retirement conditions. These changes would move retirements from alignment with the academic calendar to retirement based solely on an employee’s month of birth.
According to the unions, the new directive undermines established conditions of service and university statutes that previously allowed staff to extend their contracts until the end of the academic year. Many employees had already received official retirement letters under the existing framework a factor that shaped their personal and financial planning. As a result, unions argue, imposing a different timeline is not only administratively disruptive but also personally harmful.
The unions reaffirmed that they were not consulted at any stage of the policy’s formulation, asserting that such exclusion violates basic labour engagement protocols and shows disregard for the rights and dignity of non-teaching staff. The message from union leaders was clear: without substantive dialogue and revision, the directive is unacceptable.
A two-week ultimatum and potential disruptions
As part of their response, the non-teaching unions have issued the government and GTEC with a two-week ultimatum to withdraw the directive. Should GTEC fail to comply within this period, the unions have warned they will “advise themselves” industry language indicating escalating actions that could include industrial withdrawal or widespread job action.
The statement also included a stark warning that ignoring their demands could destabilize academic operations across public universities. Scheduled lectures, examinations, administrative processes, and student support services could all be affected if the dispute intensifies into organized disruption.
Broader labour tensions in Ghana’s university sector
This clash over the GTEC retirement directive comes amid a broader context of labour disputes within the Ghanaian tertiary education system. Earlier in the year, several unions including the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), and the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Associations of Ghana (FUSSAG) declared an indefinite strike over disagreements with policy changes and conditions of service.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Apaak, has appealed to striking unions to call off industrial actions in the interest of teaching and learning continuity, emphasizing the need to engage in dialogue and negotiate through statutory mechanisms such as the National Labour Commission (NLC). However, progress remains slow with both sides maintaining firm positions.
Historically, the NLC itself has intervened in similar university staff disputes, at times ordering unions to halt strikes under the Labour Act. But such directives have only temporarily paused actions rather than resolved underlying differences.
Why the retirement directive triggered outrage
At the core of the dispute is not simply a change in policy wording but the principle of engagement and respect. Unions argue that unilateral alterations to employment terms, without negotiation and consent, erode trust and disregard the legal frameworks that govern labour relations.
For many non-teaching staff, retirement timelines determine not only their exit from public service but also financial planning, housing arrangements, and personal commitments that depend on predictable schedules. The abrupt shift to retirement based on birth month, without consultation, was viewed by staff representatives as unreasonable and reactive.
The unions also stressed that non-teaching employees play a fundamental role in university governance and functioning from administrative services to student welfare and should not be treated as “second-class” stakeholders in institutional decision-making.
Possible outcomes and next Steps
With the two-week deadline now set, government agencies, including the Ministry of Education and GTEC, face intense pressure to either engage in substantive negotiations or prepare for escalating labour unrest. Failure to resolve the dispute swiftly could lead to prolonged disruptions across multiple public universities, affecting tens of thousands of students.
As the ultimatum deadline approaches, all eyes will be on both union leadership and government negotiators to find a path toward compromise that respects labour rights while maintaining the integrity of Ghana’s higher education system.