The Tertiary Education Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU-GH) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), demanding an immediate reversal of its directive mandating traditional public universities to swear in representatives of the Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU-TUC) onto their Governing Councils.

The ultimatum follows a GTEC letter dated June 18, 2025, which officially recognised TEWU-TUC as the legitimate body to represent workers on the Governing Councils of public traditional universities.

In the letter, GTEC directed all affected institutions to immediately swear in TEWU-TUC representatives and grant them full privileges of Council members. The Commission also instructed members of TEWU-GH to desist from presenting themselves as Council members, even in cases where they have already been sworn in.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, June 24, the National Chairman of TEWU-GH, Sulemana Abdul Rahaman, who also chairs the union’s local branch at the University for Development Studies (UDS) rejected GTEC’s directive.

He argued that the bargaining certificate held by TEWU-TUC does not nullify the rights of TEWU-GH, stressing that the Commission’s decision undermines union pluralism and violates established processes.

“Going forward, with respect for democratic, evenhanded choices, we are calling on all labour fraternity to talk to brother Joshua Ansah to stop certain utterances that do not bring unity to the labour front,” he added.