University teachers across Ghana are this morning, Monday, August 1, 2013, beginning a nationwide industrial action to protest unpaid market premium. An emergency meeting held Wednesday night with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) failed to avert the strike. Last night the deputy minister in charge of tertiary education, Okudzeto Ablakwa assured university teachers their outstanding premiums will be settled by Friday. However the President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Dr Anthony Simmons, said the promise came rather too late and could not stop this morning’s strike. He insisted that "if the money hits the accounts we will take a decision" but until that is done Dr Simmons maintained "we still stand by [the industrial action]". In a related development, the Federation of University Senior Staff Association of Ghana, FUSSAG, has also served notice of their intention to withdraw their services over government’s failure to settle their annual base pay. The Chairman of the Association at the University of Cape Coast, Daniel Egyir said government "should expedite action to negotiate with us so that something will be paid to [the members of FUSSAG]". The Deputy Education Minister said FUSSAG members should also expect their monies in the next couple of weeks.