Give Us Our Money, GAUA Tells FWSC

The University for Development Studies (UDS) branch of the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has called on the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to give them what is due them by placing them on equal market premium as their colleagues in the academics. GAUA contends that senior members of public universities comprising both the Administrative and Professional categories has been treated as one since the inception of university education in the country and describes the action of the FWSC to split their terms of conditions of service as violation of the structures in the universities. �By being treated as one unit, we mean one unit with particular reference to unified conditions of service including unified salary administration based on staff classifications�, GAUA stressed. Addressing the press on Friday, the president of the University for Development Studies branch of GAUA, Mr. George D. (Togbe) debunked the assertion that their members do not deserve the same market premium as their counterparts in the academics because they do not have the same entry requirements, the position they said has been the basis of the decision by FWSC. Mr. George said �we state categorically that from time immemorial, the minimum entry requirement for all senior members (Administrative and Professional) is a master�s degree and or a professional qualification. This is in tandem with that of our colleague senior members academic. A PhD is only an advantage�. �As at now, only 47% of Academic senior members have PhD in the University of Ghana, UMAT in Takwa has 23%. In UDS only 21% have PhDs. All others have Master�s degrees like their Administrative and Professional counterparts�, Mr George added. GAUA condemned the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission for holding its first negotiations with the university senior members (Academic) for onwards migrations unto the SSSS instead of a joint and collective bargaining platform with senior members in general. The group also noted FWSC's decision offer GAUA a premium of 0.80% instead of the previously negotiated premium of 1.20% of basic salary was unacceptable.