GAUA resumes nationwide strike over pay disparities

The Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has reinstated its nationwide strike, urging all members of public universities in Ghana to abstain from work from August 10 onwards, citing persistent pay disparities between teaching and non-teaching senior staff. This decision was made during the Association's National Congress in Sunyani, where delegates argued that recent adjustments to market premiums have exacerbated existing inequities, despite teaching and non-teaching staff operating under identical senior member structures.

GAUA asserts that while it supports enhancing conditions for teaching senior members, such improvements should not be achieved at the expense of non-teaching senior staff. Upon the Single Spine Salary Structure's introduction in 2012, all senior members received a uniform 114% market premium. However, an agreement reached with the government in April 2026 granted non-teaching senior members a 40% boost in consolidated market premium and non-basic allowances, yet GAUA claims a significant remuneration gap remains.

Teaching senior members now earn an average market premium of around GH¢10,000, contrasting sharply with the approximately GH¢4,718 received by non-teaching senior members, a difference of about GH¢5,282. GAUA further contends that the lowest-paid teaching senior member, an assistant lecturer, receives a higher market premium than the highest-paid non-teaching senior staff, such as a registrar or finance officer.

The Association formally petitioned the National Labour Commission and other state bodies on July 16, but as of now, no response has been received. GAUA clarifies that their action is not against teaching senior members but aims to ensure equitable treatment for all based on transparent and consistent principles. The Association has called upon the government and stakeholders to rectify these disparities and uphold fairness in university staff remuneration.