Teacher unions reject calls to end strike over unpaid salaries, arrears
The three teacher unions leading the ongoing strike have rejected calls to return to the classroom, saying they will only suspend the action after the government takes tangible steps to resolve their outstanding demands. The decision was taken after a meeting with Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, who appealed to the unions to call off the […]
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu announced on Monday, September 28, 2026, that the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission will convene with teacher unions on Tuesday, October 6, to continue negotiations regarding their collective agreement and conditions of service. This meeting follows a government team's interaction with representatives from the National Association of Government Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Religious Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Professional Teachers for Ghana (PRETAG), aimed at resolving the ongoing teacher union strike.
Mr. Iddrisu emphasized that the discussions were open and aimed at finding solutions to the concerns voiced by the unions. He urged the unions to suspend the strike while negotiations proceed. The Minister also unveiled the establishment of a validation committee, under the leadership of the Ministry of Employment and Labour, to assess data concerning the government's pledge to pay a 20 percent rural deprived area allowance.
The committee will incorporate input from the teacher unions. According to Mr. Iddrisu, the government is committed to implementing the allowance from January 2027, contingent upon the validation of the data and mutual agreement on a clear roadmap.
Regarding the issue of teachers' promotions, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has been instructed to deliver relevant data to the Controller and Accountant-General (CAG) for processing. This ongoing endeavor is projected to cover nearly 80,000 promoted teachers, with September salaries already processed and the remaining arrears involving approximately 29,000 teachers.
Mr. Iddrisu clarified that the government currently holds data on about 29,000 teachers regarding the outstanding arrears, and the full process will encompass nearly 80,000 promoted educators. He explained that salaries for September had already been processed, rendering it unfeasible to reverse the procedure. Consequently, the CAG will take measures to integrate the outstanding payments into October's salary structure, including any supplementary payments that may arise.
The government's initiatives are intended to address the teacher unions' apprehensions while ongoing dialogues continue on their conditions of service and other unresolved matters.
Written by urgent.news from GBC Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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