The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has assured three major unions in the tertiary education sector that their concerns over the delayed Book and Research Allowance will soon be resolved.
The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), and Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) had earlier threatened to embark on industrial action if the government failed to release the funds by June 13.
READ ALSO: [Audio] Update on CETAG, UTAG, and TUTAG Strike
Earlier today, the Minister met with the leadership of three major teacher unions: the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), and the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG).
He explained the reason for the meeting by saying:
“This engagement was prompted by a request they submitted regarding the disbursement of the Book and Research Allowance.”
According to the Minister, the allowance has already been included in the 2025 national budget.
“I assured them that the allowance has been fully captured in the 2025 Budget, and I have since initiated the necessary processes in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education to ensure its release.”
The Minister also praised the unions for suggesting the creation of a special desk at the Ministry of Finance to handle labour issues.
“I also commended the unions for their constructive proposal to establish a dedicated Labour Relations Desk within the Ministry of Finance.”
He added that this new desk will help improve communication and cooperation between the government and the unions:
“This initiative, once operationalised, will strengthen coordination with our counterparts on the labour front and enhance dialogue and responsiveness.”
However, despite these assurances, the unions have warned that if the allowance is not paid soon, they may go on strike by 13th June 2025. This would affect teaching and learning activities in universities, technical universities, and colleges of education across the country.
“Ato is Really Forsing”
All eyes are now on the government to act quickly and avoid any disruption in the education sector.
