The unions are the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), and the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSSAG).
Dr Apaak made the appeal after chairing a meeting with the SSA-UoG at the Ministry of Education on Friday on behalf of the Minister, Mr Haruna Iddrisu.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Education and copied to the Ghana News Agency said representatives of TEWU-TUC, FUSSAG, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), led by its Chief Executive, Dr George Smith-Graham, were present.
The discussions were frank and constructive, focusing on the issues that triggered the ongoing strike by senior university staff, it said.
“On behalf of President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, I appealed to the unions to consider the impact of their action on teaching and learning and call off the strike,” Dr Apaak was quoted as saying.
He encouraged the unions to remain engaged with statutory dispute-resolution mechanisms.
“I urged them to also continue with their engagements with the National Labour Commission to reach an amicable resolution,” he added.
Members of the SSA-UoG on Tuesday declared a nationwide strike to protest recent changes in their conditions of service by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
The Association argues that the adjustments were imposed without adequate consultation, which was detrimental to the welfare of senior staff in public universities.
According to the SSA-UoG, the variations affected key aspects of their service conditions and undermined previously agreed arrangements, leaving members with little option but to embark on an industrial action.
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission is responsible for setting pay policies, allowances, and benefits across government-funded institutions, including universities.
The ongoing strike is already having implications on academic and administrative work, with lectures, examinations, and routine university operations disrupted in several institutions.
Dr Apaak said the government remained committed to dialogue and consensus-building, stressing that sustained engagement among all parties was essential to restoring calm on campuses and ensuring that students are not unduly affected by the dispute.
GNA
