KNUST administrators declare indefinite strike over allowance disparities, working conditions

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology's (KNUST) administrators have announced an indefinite strike, starting from Monday August 10. The strike, called by the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) which represents non-teaching staff, centers around two primary issues: pay disparities and subpar working conditions.

GAUA Secretary, Phanuel Seli Kwadzo Asense, highlighted a significant discrepancy, stating that the highest-ranking non-teaching staff receive only around 50% of the pay their teaching staff counterparts earn. This pay gap, Asense argues, is detrimental to the well-being of administrators and their ability to effectively carry out their duties on campus.

The strike was sanctioned after an emergency meeting where GAUA's leadership and members agreed on the collective decision. This industrial action is anticipated to disrupt service delivery at various administrative departments, including IT, accounting, development, and the university's hospitals, as these staff members withdraw their services until their grievances are addressed.

Asense further disclosed that despite numerous negotiations and letters sent to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and other relevant government bodies over the past months, their demands have not been met. The GAUA asserts they will persist until their demands are satisfactorily addressed, adding that they maintain no hostility towards the university or teaching staff.

In the forthcoming days, a monitoring team will be deployed to oversee members who continue to defy the strike.