The ongoing strike by the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has begun to disrupt administrative services at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), with some students and national service personnel being asked to return at a later date to access services.

Some offices, including those responsible for payroll and auditing, have been affected by the strike, while key student-facing units such as the Finance, Registry and Examinations offices remain open, albeit with reduced operational capacity.

One of those affected by the disruption told JoyNews on Thursday, 8 October, that she had travelled to the university to have her National Service Scheme (NSS) documentation endorsed but was informed upon arrival that she would have to return later.

The delay, he explained, could have financial implications for her because she had travelled to the university without making adequate preparations for a longer wait.

She expressed hope that the industrial action would be resolved soon to enable affected personnel to return to work.

“I hope that they call it off so that we can resume working.”

KNUST GAUA chapter defends strike action

The KNUST chapter of GAUA has defended the industrial action, stressing that the association's members have a right to strike in pursuit of their demands.

Speaking on the impact of the strike, the chapter's General Secretary, Kwadwo Asenso Fanwel, said the association was mindful of the need to maintain its professional and ethical responsibilities even while participating in the industrial action.

“We have clearly indicated that a strike is a right of every association or a grouping to press on their demand,” he said. Mr Asenso Fanwel, however, emphasised that GAUA members were not deliberately seeking to sabotage university operations.

He explained that the disruption arising from the strike should be understood as passive rather than active.

“The disruption here in this case will be passive. We are not going to cause any active disruption, but by virtue of the fact that our people are not going to be in the office to put back services, that is where the effect will be felt,” he explained.

Strike intended to demonstrate importance of administrators

Mr Asenso Fanwel also acknowledged that the effectiveness of industrial action depends partly on its ability to demonstrate the importance of the workers involved.

He said GAUA believed the absence of administrators from their posts would highlight the essential role they play in keeping university systems and services running.

For now, the KNUST situation demonstrates the wider role played by university administrators in ensuring that academic institutions function smoothly, even when their work is largely behind the scenes.