The Chairman of the Public Universities Junior Staff Association (PUJUSA) at the University of Ghana, Samuel Amuzu McStill, has called for the inclusion of PUJUSA executives in the university’s board and committee meetings.
The Association held its 2025 Annual General Meeting on Friday, January 30, 2026, after the meeting, originally scheduled for late 2025, was postponed due to accommodation challenges.
During the meeting, members deliberated on key issues affecting junior staff, including representation on university committees, updates on the PUJUSA motorbike initiative, and financial concerns surrounding the 2025 end-of-year package.
Speaking to Univers News on the sidelines of the meeting, Mr. McStill stressed that university authorities should recognise PUJUSA executives as the legitimate representatives of junior staff.
He argued that, in line with the university’s statutes, junior staff are entitled to direct representation rather than relying solely on representatives from the Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU).
“The statutes of the university clearly state that a union with a collective bargaining certificate should represent its members on such committees. The university has therefore identified TEWU as the body to represent junior staff, and for that reason, it is always TEWU that is invited because they believe TEWU holds the collective bargaining certificate,” he explained.
Mr. McStill, however, maintained that where TEWU’s representation is unavoidable, the individual selected should be a bona fide junior staff member capable of accurately conveying the concerns of the group.
“Our concern is that even if TEWU holds the collective bargaining certificate to represent junior staff, they should ensure that the person representing junior staff is truly a junior staff member,” he said.
“They should also take into account Regulation 10 of Labour Regulation LI 1833, which states that even when a union with a collective bargaining certificate is undertaking negotiations or representations, it must involve other unions that share membership within the same class of workers.”
He reiterated his appeal to university authorities to consider PUJUSA members for representation instead of depending solely on TEWU, emphasizing that the Association has competent and qualified members capable of effectively advocating for junior staff interests.
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Story by Vanessa Katrin Ohene | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
