The Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has firmly stated its demand for improved remuneration is based on an existing job evaluation and arbitration framework, not a comparison with university lecturers. National President Rev. Kwaku Karikari Amoah clarified that the union's dispute with the government should not be characterized as a contest between administrators and academics.
Rev. Amoah, speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (11 August), asserted, “We have not and we are not comparing ourselves with anybody within the university landscape.” He explained that a job evaluation conducted during the transition to the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) had initially rated administrative and professional staff at 120 percent. This figure was notably higher than the approximately 114 percent assigned to other categories, including lecturers, at that time.
This historical context is crucial to understanding GAUA's current position within Ghana's public sector wage negotiations. The SSSS, implemented to ensure fair and transparent pay across public service, often leads to disputes over job classifications and salary relativities. GAUA's insistence on a framework-based approach highlights a broader challenge in managing public sector payroll, which accounts for a significant portion of government expenditure.
According to Rev. Amoah, the matter subsequently went through the National Labour Commission and arbitration. This process resulted in an agreement for GAUA members to receive 114 percent of basic salary. The union's current concern, he stated, is how the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) handled negotiations over its remuneration package.
Rev. Amoah disputed suggestions that GAUA had negotiated for a new market premium. He explained that the union was initially informed that negotiations would focus on two specific items on its payslip. However, GAUA later received communication indicating that the negotiated arrangement had been replaced or described as a new market premium. “That is not the basis for which we negotiated,” he emphasized, indicating a perceived shift in the negotiation terms by the FWSC.
He also rejected arguments that administrators and lecturers should be assessed using identical qualifications and responsibilities. Rev. Amoah highlighted that senior administrators, such as registrars and directors of finance, typically possess lengthy professional experience. These individuals also occupy critical senior management positions within universities, requiring distinct skill sets and responsibilities.
Despite this, Rev. Amoah stressed that GAUA was not demanding identical treatment with academic staff. He reiterated, “Our focus is the new salary structure that Fair Wages has developed.” The union is advocating for a fresh job evaluation to determine appropriate remuneration for administrative and professional staff. He argued that market premiums, which are additional payments for scarce skills, should be based on objective assessments of jobs, skills, and professional scarcity.
GAUA has embarked on industrial action over this dispute, signaling its determination to have the government address outstanding remuneration and related concerns. This action could disrupt university operations, affecting students and the broader educational landscape. The resolution of this dispute will likely influence future public sector wage negotiations and the application of the SSSS across various government institutions.