GTEC directs VCs, other senior university managers to stay off administrators’ strike

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has instructed Vice-Chancellors and senior administrators of public universities to end their participation in a strike by university administrators. The directive, issued on August 17, 2026, excludes Vice-Chancellors, Pro Vice-Chancellors, Registrars, Directors, Deans, Directors and Heads of Academic Units, Deputy Directors, and Vice-Deans from the industrial action.

GTEC cited sections of the Labour Act, 2003, and related regulations to justify the order, emphasizing that executives, managers, and policy-makers have a fiduciary duty to their employers, often under contractual arrangements.

The Commission demanded a list from each university of all senior officials who participated in the strike and failed to comply. GTEC warned that disrupting essential services such as examinations, student portals, healthcare, and cleaning could violate the Labour Act. The strike followed a nationwide action by the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) over perceived disparities in allowances between teaching and non-teaching staff, a dispute also supported by the Technical University Senior Administrators' Association of Ghana (TUSAAG).

GTEC reiterated its commitment to resolving the dispute amicably and called for both unions to exercise restraint and responsibility as negotiations continue.