The Technical Universities Senior Administrators Association of Ghana (TUSAAG) has announced an indefinite nationwide strike beginning Wednesday, December 3, 2025, over what it describes as a “blatant breach of agreement” by the government regarding the payment of a negotiated One-Time Research Allowance that has been outstanding for nearly 17 months.
The industrial action will result in a complete withdrawal of administrative services across all 10 technical universities, crippling essential operations such as admissions, examinations, finance, and general administration.
At the heart of the strike is the government’s failure to honour an agreement reached on July 10, 2024, to disburse the research allowance. The Association emphasizes that the allowance is not a discretionary benefit but a contractual entitlement necessary for the career progression of senior administrators, who must undertake mandatory research and publish academic work to qualify for promotion.
According to TUSAAG, the non-payment of the allowance “constitutes a blatant breach of agreement” and reflects a disregard for the crucial role senior administrators play in sustaining tertiary education in the country. The Association insists that the continued delay has demoralized its members and undermined their professional standing.
TUSAAG maintains that the strike was declared only after months of unsuccessful engagements with key government bodies. Efforts to secure commitments from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) reportedly yielded no results. Additionally, several written requests and attempts to meet the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, were allegedly ignored or indefinitely postponed.
The strike is expected to cause widespread disruption across institutions including Accra Technical University, Kumasi Technical University, Takoradi Technical University, and Tamale Technical University. Key administrative functions likely to be affected include,
Delays in processing salaries, stipends, and operational funds, suspension of application processing and student record management, possible delays in organizing exams and releasing results, halted recruitment, promotions, and disciplinary procedures.
TUSAAG says the action is intended to force urgent government intervention after all previous appeals failed to secure meaningful action.
Despite the shutdown, the Association says it remains open to “sincere and immediate dialogue” aimed at achieving a permanent and satisfactory resolution to the long-standing issue.
