GTEC orders university administrators back to work, gives VCs 48 hours to name defiers

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has instructed the return of senior management officials from public universities, excluding them from a strike by the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) and the Technical University Senior Administrators’ Association of Ghana (TUSAAG). These officials include Vice-Chancellors, Pro Vice-Chancellors, Registrars, and various Directors, who are considered eligible to continue their work due to the nature of their roles and responsibilities.

The directive, issued on August 17, 2026, was based on specific sections of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), and the Labour Regulations, 2007 (L.I. 1833). GTEC emphasized that these officials, owing a fiduciary duty to their employers, should remain at their posts. The Commission requested Vice-Chancellors to provide a list of any officials who joined the strike and violated the order within 48 hours.

GTEC also warned of potential breaches of the Labour Act if essential services, such as end-of-semester examinations and student portals, were disrupted, and threatened legal action against any unlawful disruption. The strike was triggered by disputes over disparities in market premium and allowances between teaching and non-teaching senior members of public universities.

The action involves university administrators from both GAUA and TUSAAG, but does not encompass all university employees.