The University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG-UG) has extended the deadline for the government to act on outstanding Book and Research Allowances (BRA) to Tuesday, October 20, warning that a strike remains possible if the issue is not resolved.
The association threatened to withdraw its members’ teaching services from October 19 if the government didn’t pay the allowance by October 16.
However, UTAG-UG President Dr Jerry Joe Harrison said the association was giving the government additional time after the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department assured it that it would make the payments by the end of Monday, October 19.
He said the association would examine the government’s actions before deciding whether to proceed with industrial action.
“After we announced our decision to embark on strike, there have been some movements. You know that the Controller says he’s willing to pay, so if you’re willing to pay, then let’s see what actions the Controller is taking; that means that he’s going to pay,” he said.
Dr Harrison explained that UTAG-UG wanted to see tangible steps towards settling the outstanding allowances before making a final decision.
“We are giving ourselves a day to see what concrete actions are going to be taken, and then, based on that, we take the next action,” he added.
Speaking on Citi News, he said the association had engaged the government and would wait for the outcome of the discussions before deciding on its next move.
“There are a few things that need to happen today, so we are giving ourselves today and tomorrow to see what happens before taking a decision. We’ve had some engagement with government; because of that, we haven’t declared another strike, so we are waiting today and tomorrow to see what happens,” he said.
The extension gives the government more time to address the payment dispute and avoid a possible disruption to teaching and learning.
Meanwhile, the University of Ghana has reopened for the 2026/2027 academic year, with students moving into their halls of residence. Lectures are scheduled to begin on Monday, October 26, leaving a limited window for the two sides to resolve the matter before academic activities resume.
