3 teacher unions threaten strike on August 31 over delayed promotion, salary placements
The unions made their position known at a press briefing in Accra on August 27, where they accused the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department of failing to resolve the matter.
More than 300,000 teachers in Ghana are planning to go on strike on August 31, 2026, over delays in paying them their correct salaries following their promotions. The three main teacher unions involved—GNAT, NAGRAT, and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers’ Association of Ghana—are demanding that the government place over 100,000 teachers who passed promotion exams in 2025 onto their proper salary scales. These teachers have been stuck on their old pay rates for more than a year.
At a press conference on August 27, the unions accused the Ghana Education Service and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department of failing to resolve the issue. GNAT General Secretary Thomas Tanko Musah expressed frustration, warning that the government would be responsible for any disruption resulting from the strike. He stated that the unions feel unfairly treated and believe the government is not listening to their concerns.
The unions are insisting that the salary adjustments be backdated to December 2025 instead of the current schedule of July 2026. They are demanding that the affected teachers be placed on the payroll by August 31, or the strike will go ahead. King Ali Awudu, President of the Pre-Tertiary Teachers’ Association of Ghana, emphasized that the teachers will not accept July 2026 as the effective date for the salary placement.
He warned that the government must act immediately to avoid serious disruptions to education across the country.
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