KNUST Senior Staff Join Nationwide Strike Over Service Conditions and Pension Arrears

Members of the Senior Staff Association of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have joined a nationwide strike to protest changes to their conditions of service and unresolved pension contributions by the government.

The industrial action, which began on Tuesday, is being observed across all public universities in Ghana. At KNUST, members of the association, wearing red bands as a symbol of protest, urged their colleagues to remain at home until further notice.

National Chairman of the University Senior Staff Association, Mr. George Ansong, outlined three primary grievances prompting the indefinite strike.

The first concern involves the unilateral alteration of their conditions of service by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) without prior consultation.

“Our first issue has to do with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission altering our conditions of service without engaging the association. We cannot sit unconcerned. Until these conditions are restored and meaningful negotiations are held with us, we remain on strike,” Mr. Ansong said.

The second grievance stems from the government’s failure to pay Tier Two pension contributions for senior staff from August to December 2024, despite payments being made for 2025.

“All correspondence from our fund managers have yielded no results. We cannot sit down and allow our Tier Two pension contributions to remain with the government,” he added.

Mr. Ansong emphasized that existing pension regulations stipulate a three percent penalty for default in payment. The association insists this penalty, along with the outstanding arrears, must be honoured.

“The law is clear. Any default in payment attracts a three percent penalty, and we are demanding that the government pays the outstanding months together with the penalty,” he stated.

The third issue concerns staff of the University of Mines and Technology–Kumasi (UNIMAK), which was created through the merger of three institutions into a fully-fledged university.

Since the establishment of UNIMAK, staff members have reportedly not received their rightful salaries and allowances.

“We have engaged the government through letters and meetings. Although they were placed on the correct salary levels this year, government has failed to pay the arrears owed them since the institution attained university status,” Mr. Ansong lamented.

Other senior staff members at KNUST also added their voices in support of the strike, describing the situation as “unfair and unsustainable.”

Dr. Nana Osei, a senior lecturer and association member, stated: “We have served this institution faithfully, yet our conditions of service are being changed without consultation, and our pension arrears remain unpaid. The strike is the only way to make our concerns heard.”

Similarly, Mrs. Afia Mensah, a senior administrative officer, said, “The government must understand that these issues affect not just salaries but also the welfare and future security of senior staff. We are united in this action until meaningful dialogue takes place.”

Mr. Ansong concluded that until these concerns are adequately addressed, members of the Senior Staff Association will remain on strike.

The industrial action underscores growing tensions between public university staff and the government over wage disputes and pension arrears. Stakeholders have expressed concern that prolonged disruptions could negatively affect academic activities and student learning across the country.