Cape Coast university workers join strike action

Cape Coast, Aug. 19, GNA- Members of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) and the Federation of University Senior Staff Association (FUSSAG), of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Wednesday, joined the industrial action embarked upon by their counterparts at Legon.

The workers are demanding payment of their salary arrears from January to June this year.

Presenting a copy of a resolution passed by the executives and local branches in Accra on Monday, to the university authorities, they threatened that they "would advise themselves", until the arrears were paid,

Mr Jeff Onyame, Public Relations Officer of the UCC, who briefed the GNA at Cape Coast about the action, said the two groups have stressed that, they would only return to work, if they were paid the arrears.

He, however, said a skeleton staff was at hand to provide "essential services", but stressed that if the situation do not improve they would also advise themselves.

On the admission of freshmen, he announced that about 3,000 have been admitted this year, but could however, not give the exact number of candidates who applied, since registration has not completed.

During the visit to the campus, the GNA observed that many of the offices in the university have been locked, with students loitering about the halls, while others queued at the banks to pay their fees. Many of the students the GNA spoke to, expressed concern about the strike action, which they said would affect the academic calendar, and called on the government and the university authorities to find a lasting solution to the problem.