Non-teaching staff unions in Ghana’s public universities have called for the immediate suspension and review of a retirement policy recently issued by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), warning that failure to do so could disrupt the academic calendar.
In a joint statement signed by union leaders including Michael Owusu Ansah, George Ansong, Stanley Abopaam, Salamatu Braimah, Ken Yelibo, and Gerard Anamjonga, the unions described the directive as “unfair, arbitrary and discriminatory” against non-teaching employees.
The unions stressed that they were not consulted during the development of the policy, arguing that it was imposed without engagement with representatives of affected staff. They also rejected any notion that non-teaching employees are irrelevant to the governance and management of public universities.
According to the statement, the policy seeks to amend existing conditions of service and university statutes that currently allow staff to defer retirement to the end of the academic year. The unions pointed out that universities have already issued retirement letters specifying exit dates, which have guided how staff plan their lives and prepare for retirement in line with the academic calendar.
They described the new directive as an “offence” to staff who have made arrangements based on previously issued timelines.
The unions have issued a two-week ultimatum, warning that if the policy is not withdrawn and staff are forced to retire in their month of birth rather than at the end of the academic year, they will take matters into their own hands.
The statement concluded with a call for urgent action to prevent tensions and ensure that activities at Ghana’s public universities continue without disruption.
