Non-Teaching Staff in Ghana Issue Ultimatum Over Poor Conditions

The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) has issued a strong warning to the Ghanaian government and educational authorities, demanding urgent action to address the long-standing neglect and unfair treatment of non-teaching staff across the country’s education sector.

In a statement released on Friday, August 14, 2026, TEWU outlined eight core grievances affecting workers in the Ghana Education Service (GES), public and technical universities, and other educational institutions. These include delayed salary payments, unfair labour practices, limited promotion opportunities, lack of recognition, and poor working conditions.

The Union has given stakeholders—including the Ministers of Finance and Education, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), university managements, and GES management—a two-week deadline to resolve the issues.

Key demands from TEWU include:

• Payment of outstanding overtime allowances for GES security personnel.

• Resolution of promotion and career progression bottlenecks.

• Implementation of responsibility allowances for unit heads.

• Full enforcement of the Conditions of Service for non-teaching staff.

• Increased recruitment of non-teaching personnel.

• Settlement of six months’ arrears on the 5% operational allowance for eligible junior staff in public universities and colleges.

• Protection of TEWU’s representation on university and college governing councils.

• An end to discrimination against non-teaching staff.

TEWU emphasized that non-teaching workers are essential to the functioning of Ghana’s education system and must not be treated as an afterthought. The Union warned that if its concerns are not addressed within the stipulated timeframe, members will be forced to “advise themselves accordingly”—a phrase often used to signal possible industrial action.

The statement comes amid growing calls for equity and improved welfare for all education sector workers in Ghana.