Teacher unions strike: President must step in if Education Minister is not being heard – GNAT

The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Musah Tanko, has called on President Mahama to intervene in the ongoing dispute over the payment of salaries for newly promoted teachers if the Education Minister is not being heeded. In an interview on TV3's Ghana Tonight, Tanko expressed frustration over the delay in resolving the issue, stating that the authorities must take action to resolve the matter, as they have not been listening to the Education Minister despite engaging with other stakeholders.

Tanko revealed that the payment of salaries for newly promoted teachers was previously handled automatically before the Controller and Accountant-General's Department introduced additional requirements. He argued that if these new requirements necessitate a change in the status quo, the priority should be to ensure that the current batch of promoted teachers receive their salaries while stakeholders work out a transition plan for future promotions.

Tanko criticized the insistence on the additional requirements and urged the Controller and Accountant-General to process the payments immediately. The Education Minister met with teacher union representatives on Monday, September 28, and pledged the government's commitment to resolving the concerns surrounding the promotion process.

Public Relations Head of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Daniel Fenyi, confirmed that a deadline of 4pm on October 5 has been set for the submission of outstanding input forms and other necessary documentation to process salaries for newly promoted teachers.