Workers’ unions in the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBID S) and C. K. Tedem University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) are threatening to strike from November 15 o ver contentions with the migration of their members onto government’s payroll system

Workers’ unions in the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS) and C. K. Tedem University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) are threatening to strike from November 15 over contentions with the migration of their members onto government’s payroll system.

In a letter to the Education Minister, the unions complained that resolutions that led to the suspension of their previous strike in August were not honoured.

According to the unions, it was agreed that the Controller and Accountant General’s Department was to follow all the conditions in an agreement signed with them under the order of the National Labour Commission before any steps to migrate workers to the new payroll system take place.

These conditions included the installation of an IPPD2 mechanised payroll system application software at the various campuses; the training of Finance directorates and personnel on the use of the IPPD2 system and a three-month test run with existing payroll data to rectify all discrepancies.

The unions said it was also agreed that their members were to continue to receive their salary through the University of Development Studies “until the conditions precedent are met.”

“This salary payment arrangement has since been problematic in that, UDS often pay their staff at the end of each month while the workers of SDD UBIDS and CKT UTAS are paid virtually two weeks into the following month. As at today (8th November 2021), we have not yet been paid our October salaries,” the unions.

Because these measures have not been put in place, the unions said they have faced “undue hardship” and “simmering tension” in their universities.

The Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies was previously the Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies before being granted autonomy whilst the C.K Tedem University of Technology and Applied Sciences was previously the Navrongo campus of the University for Development Studies.