The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has pushed back against claims by the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) that differences in Market Premiums between teaching and non-teaching Senior Members constitute discrimination.

Market Premium is an additional payment added to an employee’s basic salary to help make their total compensation competitive with what similar professionals can earn in the wider job market.

UTAG argues that variations in remuneration do not automatically amount to unfair treatment, stressing that salary structures should take into account factors including qualifications, responsibilities, labour-market conditions and the need for universities to attract and retain specialised professionals.

The Association made the remarks in a statement issued on Monday, August 10, following the decision by GAUA to reactivate its strike over disparities in Market Premiums and other allowances.

GAUA has raised concerns over what it describes as significant differences in the allowances received by teaching and non-teaching Senior Members within public universities.

However, UTAG said the use of the common designation “Senior Member” should not be interpreted to mean that all professional groups within the category perform identical roles or should receive the same remuneration.

According to UTAG, differences in qualifications, recruitment requirements, retention pressures, career responsibilities, promotion structures and the availability of specialised skills are among the factors that must inform decisions on compensation.

“A disparity, in and of itself, is not evidence of discrimination. To suggest otherwise is to reduce a complex remuneration question to a simplistic and emotionally charged comparison,” the Association said.

UTAG maintained that the principle of fairness does not require every occupational group within the university system to receive identical compensation.

“Fairness does not mean sameness. Equity does not require uniformity,” it stated.

The Association further argued that Market Premiums should be determined using clear and objective criteria, including the complexity of duties, required qualifications, competitiveness in the external labour market and the strategic value of particular expertise to universities.

It cautioned that demands for equal treatment should not be based solely on grievances or public pressure without a proper assessment of the roles and responsibilities attached to each professional category.

“Public pressure, rhetoric, and grievance alone cannot substitute for objective job evaluation,” UTAG added.

On the argument that all Senior Members previously received a harmonised 114% Market Premium under the Single Spine Salary Structure in 2012, UTAG said remuneration arrangements are not static and may change in response to evolving circumstances.

It therefore rejected the suggestion that the previous harmonisation should serve as a basis for preventing any future differences in remuneration.

“A past point of harmonisation cannot be invoked as a permanent argument against all subsequent differentiation,” UTAG said.

While acknowledging the concerns of non-teaching Senior Members and stating that it does not oppose improvements in their conditions of service, UTAG disagreed with the position that fairness can only be achieved through equal remuneration for all occupational groups.

The Association is instead calling for an independent assessment of the remuneration structure for Senior Members in Ghana’s public universities.

It wants the government, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Ministry of Education, National Labour Commission and other relevant stakeholders to lead the review.

UTAG said the assessment should consider the qualifications required for each role, workloads, responsibilities, labour-market comparisons, promotion structures, retention challenges and the overall compensation received across the different professional categories.

“That is the only serious path to a settlement that is fair, defensible, and capable of commanding public confidence,” the Association said.

UTAG has also appealed to both teaching and non-teaching groups to avoid statements that could worsen tensions between the two sides.

“Labour issues of this nature must be addressed with sobriety, evidence, and institutional maturity. The question is not who matters more in the university. The question is whether the remuneration attached to each professional category can be objectively justified,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Ministry of Education have yet to publicly respond to UTAG’s proposal for an independent review.

UTAG said it remains open to dialogue and will continue to promote responsible union leadership while working to preserve industrial harmony and the long-term stability of Ghana’s public universities.