TEWU-GH declares nationwide strike across public universities

Members of the Tertiary Education Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU-GH) have declared a nationwide indefinite strike across all public university campuses in the country.

The industrial action, announced on Thursday, July 3, 2025, stems from the ongoing refusal of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to recognize TEWU-GH as the legitimate union representing workers on the governing councils of public universities.

TEWU-GH, which broke away from the Teachers and Education Workers Union (TEWU-TUC) nearly three years ago, has been pushing for formal recognition.

Announcing the strike during a press conference at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) campus, the National Chairman of TEWU-GH, Abdulai Suleman Rahman, outlined key demands the union insists must be met before the strike is called off.

“We demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Toyota uses appointment as workers representative on governing councils, giving the blatant disregard for democratic principles and the right of majority union,” Mr. Rahman declared.

He further called on the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, as well as the Minister of Education, to urgently instruct the Chief Labour Officer to conduct a verification exercise to determine which of the two unions—TEWU-GH or TEWU-TUC—has the majority membership among public university workers, as stipulated under Labour Regulation 207 (L.I. 1833).

“The Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment and Minister of Education should, as a matter of agency, direct the Chief Labor Officer to conduct verification of the two unions, TEWU-GH and TEWU-TUC to determine the union that represent the majority of the workers as enshrined in the labor regulations 207 LI 1833.”

“This, we believe, will bring finality to this matter,” Mr. Rahman emphasized.

He invoked the provisions of the union’s constitution and the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), to declare the indefinite strike action, effective immediately, until their demands are met.

“In accordance with our union’s constitution and the provisions of the labor act 203 act 651 and the powers vested in me tell you just hereby declare an indefinite action effective today Thursday, that July 2025 until our demands are met.”