The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has rejected claims that differences in Market Premiums between Teaching Senior Members and Non-Teaching Senior Members in public universities constitute discrimination.
UTAG said disparities in remuneration, on their own, cannot be regarded as evidence of unfair treatment, arguing that compensation must be determined by objective factors including qualifications, job complexity, labour-market conditions and the need to attract and retain specialised personnel.
The Association’s position follows the decision by the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) to reactivate its suspended strike over disparities in Market Premiums and related allowances between Teaching Senior Members and Non-Teaching Senior Members.
In a statement issued on Monday, August 10, 2026, and signed by the UTAG National Secretariat, the Association acknowledged the right of recognised unions to pursue improved conditions of service for their members.
However, it cautioned against what it described as a misleading narrative that presents the remuneration differences as a straightforward injustice against Non-Teaching Senior Members.
“A disparity, in and of itself, is not evidence of discrimination,” UTAG said, stressing that reducing the matter to a simple comparison of salaries could create unnecessary tension within the university system.
According to UTAG, Ghana’s public universities depend on the contributions of several professional groups, including academics, administrators, accountants, auditors, librarians, legal officers and technicians.
While the roles of these professionals are complementary and important to the functioning of universities, the Association maintained that they are not identical and therefore may not necessarily attract identical remuneration structures.
UTAG argued that the classification of workers as “Senior Members” does not mean that all professionals within the category perform the same functions or face similar labour-market conditions.
It said differences in qualifications, recruitment requirements, retention pressures, career responsibilities, promotion structures and the scarcity of specialised skills must be considered when determining compensation.
The Association further stated that Market Premiums should be based on transparent and defensible criteria rather than public pressure or grievances.
“These are the factors that must guide any serious conversation about pay,” UTAG said, adding that public pressure and rhetoric could not substitute for objective job evaluation.
UTAG also rejected arguments that the harmonised 114 per cent Market Premium structure under the Single Spine Salary Structure in 2012 should automatically determine the current remuneration arrangements.
The Association said compensation systems were not static and could evolve in response to changing labour-market conditions, institutional requirements and the need to maintain competitiveness in public higher education.
It therefore maintained that a historical point of harmonisation could not be used as a permanent basis for rejecting subsequent differentiation in remuneration.
Despite its position on the issue, UTAG stressed that it was not opposed to improved remuneration for Non-Teaching Senior Members.
The Association said it supported fair, transparent and sustainable conditions of service for all workers within Ghana’s public university system.
“What we reject is the false premise that fairness can only be achieved by collapsing legitimate distinctions between fundamentally different occupational groups,” UTAG stated.
“Fairness does not mean sameness. Equity does not require uniformity.”
UTAG has consequently called on the Government, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Ministry of Education, National Labour Commission and other relevant stakeholders to undertake an independent and transparent review of the remuneration framework applicable to Senior Members in public universities.
The Association said the review should examine qualifications, workloads, responsibilities, labour-market comparators, promotion structures, retention challenges and total compensation across the various occupational categories.
It described such an approach as the most credible means of reaching a fair and sustainable settlement capable of commanding public confidence.
UTAG also urged all parties to avoid inflammatory narratives that could undermine working relationships between academics and administrators.
According to the Association, the debate should not be about determining which professional group is more important to the university system, but whether the remuneration attached to each category can be objectively justified.
The statement concluded that UTAG reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement and responsible union leadership, saying it would continue to support measures aimed at protecting the stability, quality and long-term integrity of Ghana’s higher education system.
