Teachers' Fury: Unions Defy Government, Strike Action Intensifies Across Ghana

A nationwide industrial action by major teacher unions, including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG/PTTA-GH), commenced on September 25, 2026. The strike stems from several unresolved concerns, primarily the expiration of their conditions of service, delays in the automatic placement of promoted teachers, the non-implementation of a 20 percent deprived-area allowance, and outstanding promotion arrears.

In response to the escalating situation, the government, represented by the Education, Finance, and Labour Ministers, engaged with the union leadership on Friday, October 2. During this meeting, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu appealed to the unions to call off the strike, assuring them of the government's commitment to addressing their outstanding concerns. He highlighted the government's immediate priority to restore normal academic activities in public schools, which have been severely disrupted by the ongoing action.

Minister Iddrisu made a key commitment regarding the placement of promoted teachers. He pledged that all teachers who have been promoted would be placed on their new grades by October 30, 2026. To facilitate this, the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department is actively validating data for approximately 51,000 teachers to process promotion-related payments. The Minister stated that a supplementary payment schedule would be prepared for those whose data is validated, while others would receive their new grades and associated payments through their October salaries, reiterating that the government would not renege on this pledge.

Regarding the expired conditions of service or collective agreement, Minister Iddrisu announced that the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) had extended an invitation to the leadership of GNAT, NAGRAT, and PRETAG for negotiations. These critical discussions are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 6, and the Minister expressed optimism that a resolution could be achieved within a week, based on the spirit of negotiations seen with other unions in the country.

Despite these assurances, the meeting on Friday, October 2, concluded inconclusively. GNAT General Secretary Thomas Musah confirmed that while all three key concerns raised by the unions were discussed, no definitive conclusion was reached. He disclosed that the government presented new proposals for the unions to consider, which they would review before returning to the negotiating table. The three main issues discussed were the automatic placement of promoted teachers, negotiations on a new collective agreement, and the implementation of the 20 percent deprived-area allowance.

Concurrently, regional branches of the teacher unions across the Volta, Oti, Brong Ahafo, Greater Accra, and Bono regions have reaffirmed their unwavering support for the nationwide industrial action. They have directed their members to continue staying away from classrooms until further communication is received from their national leadership. Regional chairmen and secretaries emphasized that the strike remains in force because discussions with the Ministry of Education had not yielded