“Make the case, but do not use UTAG as a reference point” — UTAG to GAUA

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has urged the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) to pursue improved remuneration based on the value of administrative work rather than comparing its package with that of academic staff.

UTAG President Prof. Vera Ogeh Fiador said the two unions entered negotiations independently and should therefore assess the outcomes separately.

She said GAUA was within its rights to demand a better package but should not use UTAG’s remuneration as evidence that its own members had been treated unfairly.

“Make the case, but do not use UTAG as a reference point,” Prof. Fiador said on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (11 August).

She said the unions had separate bargaining certificates and negotiated independently.

According to her, UTAG’s own package was based on the proposals it presented during negotiations and should not become the standard against which GAUA’s outcome was judged.

“We went in separately to the table. We came out separately with our respective packages,” she said.

Prof. Fiador said GAUA should instead demonstrate the specific value its members bring to national development and identify the remuneration necessary to reflect those responsibilities.

She rejected the suggestion that being classified as analogous or placed alongside academic ranks for institutional purposes automatically meant that the compensation structures should be identical.

She said such classifications were sometimes created to facilitate institutional processes but did not necessarily determine the appropriate compensation package.

Prof. Fiador said compensation should take into account factors including minimum entry requirements, promotion criteria, job risk, job security and tenure.

She also argued that isolating one component of a salary package could create a misleading comparison between professions.

“Then you want to put the full package down and then identify what” she said, stressing the need for a holistic assessment of remuneration.

Prof. Fiador maintained that UTAG did not oppose GAUA’s efforts to secure better conditions for its members, but said the dispute should not be framed as a contest between the two unions.

AsaaseRadio