Academic activities at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) are grinding to a halt as the strike by the Tertiary Education Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU-GH) takes a firmer hold. Campus sanitation, security, and administrative services have all been severely disrupted, sparking concern among students and university management.
Cleaners, porters, security personnel, and other essential workers have withdrawn their services, leading to unkempt exam venues, inaccessible offices, and security concerns at key access points. Some students who turned up for exams reported chaotic scenes, while campus facilities continue to pile up with uncollected waste.
According to the KNUST Chapter Chairman of TU Ghana, Charles Arthur, the strike action is legitimate and will persist until government steps in to resolve two major issues. Firstly, the union is demanding the withdrawal of a letter from the Ministry of Education that allegedly allows a minority union to gain representation on university councils. Secondly, they are calling for a verification exercise to confirm which union commands the majority of members on tertiary campuses.
Arthur stated that TEWU-GH is ready for verification and believes they have the numbers to be the rightful representatives of workers on councils. He emphasized that any attempt to bypass this process undermines fairness and will only prolong the crisis.
He also warned that the strike could affect ongoing and upcoming main semester examinations if government fails to intervene swiftly.
“This situation could easily escalate. If nothing changes, we will not allow main exams to go on,” he said. “If they want to kill us, we are ready. But we will not back down until our demands are met.”
The union has accused the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, the Labour Department, and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) of neglecting their responsibilities and showing bias in favour of rival unions.
Arthur further criticized what he described as provocative statements by GTEC suggesting that other unions could replace TEWU-GH staff during the strike. “Such comments only fuel tension and escalate the impasse,” he said.
At the heart of the dispute is a legal interpretation of which union has the legitimate mandate to represent workers on university governing councils. While existing laws reference the “Teachers and Education Workers Union,” TEWU-GH argues that the name is generic and should not be monopolized by any single group. They insist that the union with the majority membership, determined through proper verification, should hold the bargaining certificate and the right to represent workers.
A meeting is scheduled for tomorrow between TEWU-GH, the Labour Commission, and relevant ministries. Arthur confirmed the union will attend but expressed doubt about the commitment of government representatives to genuinely engage.
“We often meet junior officials with no authority to act. If they are serious, they should bring decision-makers to the table,” he added.
With campus life in disarray and students facing uncertainty, stakeholders are calling for an immediate resolution. But until their concerns are addressed, TEWU-GH says it will not relent.
The situation is reportedly similar across several other public universities in Ghana, with unions nationwide aligning with the KNUST chapter’s demands.
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