The Tertiary Education Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU-GH) has embarked on an indefinite strike, effective yesterday, Thursday, July 3, following the expiry of a seven-day ultimatum issued to “relevant authorities” on June 24.

The group’s strike is in protest of what they describe as the “egregious and unjustifiable” recognition of a smaller union, TEWU-TUC, to officially represent workers on the Governing Councils of public universities, a decision that disregards TEWU-GH’s majority membership and legitimate claim to representation.

In a statement dated July 3rd and signed by the National Chairman, Suleman Abdul-Rahman, TEWU-GH, the disgruntled union, expressed its discontent and dissatisfaction with the authorities’ failure to provide any satisfactory explanation or resolution after multiple concerns were expressed over TEWU-TUC’s representation.

The union cited that concerned authorities “blatantly disregarding democratic principles and the rights of the majority union” have forced them to take “drastic and immediate action” to uphold fairness, transparency, and democracy in tertiary education governance.

TEWU-GH demands the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of TEWU-TUC’s appointment as workers’ representative on university governing councils.”

The union also wants the Ministers for Labour and Education to instruct the Chief Labour Officer to conduct a verification exercise—in line with Labour Regulations 2007 (L.I. 1833)—to determine which union holds the majority membership among non-teaching staff in public universities.It is further calling for the establishment of a clear, credible, and democratic process for determining union representation on university governing councils. They argue this is essential to ensure that the voice of the majority is respected and reflected in governance structures.

TEWU-GH also called for the establishment of “a transparent, democratic, and verifiable process” to determine union representation across tertiary institutions, ensuring that governance structures reflect the voice of the majority.

Reaffirming its resolve, the union stated, “We remain committed to peaceful engagement with authorities but will not compromise on our demands or retreat in the face of adversity.”

TEWU-GH appealed to fellow labour unions, stakeholders, and all well-meaning Ghanaians to stand in solidarity, emphasising that “only through collective support can the rights and interests of tertiary education workers be protected, safeguarding industrial harmony across the Traditional Public Universities.”

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