The Tertiary Education Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU-GH), KNUST Chapter, has declared an indefinite strike starting Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in protest against the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission’s (GTEC) refusal to recognize the union as the majority representative on the KNUST Governing Council.
At a press conference held at the KNUST Commercial Area, Charles Arthur, Local Chairman of TEWU-GH, accused GTEC of undermining union democracy by appointing the rival TEWU-TUC—a minority union with only 123 members—over TEWU-GH, which claims a significantly larger membership of 789.
According to TEWU-GH, GTEC’s decision contradicts basic labor principles, which require union representation to reflect the will of the majority. The union contends that the move violates the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) and the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, both of which safeguard the rights of workers to engage in collective bargaining.
The union warned that GTEC’s actions could spark unrest across public universities in Ghana if the situation is not resolved swiftly.
TEWU-GH is demanding the immediate withdrawal of TEWU-TUC’s appointment and the formal recognition of TEWU-GH as the legitimate workers’ representative on the KNUST Governing Council. Additionally, the group is calling for a transparent and democratic process for future union representation overseen by GTEC.
The union has appealed to President John Mahama, the Chief of Staff, and the Ministry of Education to intervene and restore fairness in the matter.
All TEWU-GH members at KNUST have been instructed to observe the strike until GTEC reverses its decision.
