The University Teachers Association of Ghana has dismissed assertions by the Ghana Association of University Administrators that differences in Market Premium payments between teaching and non teaching Senior Members constitute discrimination, insisting that variations in remuneration do not, by themselves, amount to evidence of unfair treatment.
UTAG, in a statement released on Monday, August 10, 2026, argued that compensation arrangements within the university sector must take into account the distinctive qualifications, professional obligations, responsibilities, recruitment demands and prevailing labour market conditions associated with different categories of employees.
The Association cautioned against what it described as an oversimplified interpretation of the remuneration dispute, warning that attempts to portray the matter as a conflict between academics and university administrators could unnecessarily deepen divisions within public universities.
UTAG maintained that the existence of a difference in pay between two professional groups cannot automatically be interpreted as discriminatory treatment. According to the Association, such an interpretation would disregard the various factors that legitimately influence the design of compensation structures across specialised occupations.
The position comes after GAUA reactivated industrial action over what it considers significant disparities in Market Premiums and other related allowances received by teaching and non teaching Senior Members of public universities.
GAUA has argued that the current remuneration framework has created substantial differences in the allowances available to employees who fall under the broader Senior Member classification, raising concerns about equity and fairness within the university system.
UTAG, however, contends that the common designation of Senior Member should not be interpreted as evidence that all employees classified under that category perform identical functions or face identical professional demands.
The Association explained that Senior Member is fundamentally an administrative classification and does not eliminate the distinctions between the different professional disciplines operating within a university.
UTAG therefore believes that any credible assessment of remuneration must consider the nature and complexity of the work performed, the qualifications demanded for particular positions, the conditions required to recruit specialised professionals, the challenges involved in retaining experienced personnel and the availability of comparable opportunities within the broader labour market.
The Association further pointed to differences in career progression, professional development requirements, promotion arrangements and the scarcity of specialised expertise as legitimate considerations in determining compensation.
UTAG emphasised that equitable treatment should not necessarily translate into identical remuneration, arguing that fairness can accommodate legitimate differences where those differences are supported by objective and transparent criteria.
The Association consequently called for Market Premium arrangements to be evaluated on the basis of clearly established factors, including the complexity of professional responsibilities, educational and technical qualifications, competitiveness within external labour markets and the strategic significance of particular skills to the effective functioning of universities.
UTAG warned that public sentiment, industrial pressure or emotionally charged arguments should not replace systematic job evaluation when decisions concerning compensation are being considered.
The Association also rejected the suggestion that the harmonised 114 percent Market Premium arrangement that existed under the Single Spine Salary Structure in 2012 should serve as an enduring basis for determining present remuneration arrangements.
According to UTAG, compensation frameworks are not static and must evolve in response to changing economic conditions, professional requirements, labour market realities and institutional priorities.
The Association therefore argued that a previous period of remuneration harmonisation cannot be treated as an absolute prohibition against legitimate differentiation in future compensation arrangements.
While making clear that it does not oppose efforts to improve the conditions of service of non teaching Senior Members, UTAG rejected the proposition that fairness can only be achieved when all professional groups within the university system receive exactly the same remuneration.
Instead, the Association has proposed an independent and comprehensive assessment of the remuneration framework applicable to Senior Members across Ghana’s public universities.
UTAG is calling on the government, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Ministry of Education, the National Labour Commission and other relevant stakeholders to participate in such a review.
The proposed assessment, according to the Association, should examine the qualifications required across the various professional categories, workload differences, levels of responsibility, comparable remuneration within the external labour market, promotion structures, recruitment difficulties, retention pressures and the overall value of compensation packages.
UTAG believes that such an evidence based process would provide a more credible foundation for resolving the dispute than relying on comparisons of individual allowances or historical remuneration arrangements.
The Association further appealed to both teaching and non teaching unions to exercise restraint in their public communications and avoid statements that could aggravate tensions between the two groups.
UTAG maintained that disputes involving conditions of service should be approached through evidence, institutional dialogue and responsible labour relations rather than through rhetoric that risks portraying one professional group as more valuable than another.
According to the Association, the central issue should not be whether academics or administrators make a greater contribution to university operations. Instead, the critical question is whether the remuneration assigned to each professional category can be justified through transparent, objective and defensible criteria.
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Ministry of Education have yet to publicly respond to UTAG’s proposal for an independent review of the remuneration framework.
UTAG has nevertheless reiterated its willingness to engage with government, labour authorities and other stakeholders in pursuit of a sustainable resolution, while stressing that responsible union leadership and constructive dialogue remain essential to preserving industrial harmony and safeguarding the long term stability of Ghana’s public university system.
