‘Strike is the only language government understands’ –IFEST backs teachers

Dr Peter Anti, Executive Director of the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST), has expressed support for the pre-tertiary teacher unions' decision to continue the nationwide strike. He emphasized that industrial action is crucial for compelling the government to address the teachers' concerns, particularly regarding their collective agreement and other conditions of service.

Dr Anti noted that these issues were raised by the teachers well before the strike began, but the government's failure to act promptly was a significant problem. He stated that strike is the only language the government understands in compelling action. The teacher unions had already approached the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) in late 2025 to renegotiate their collective agreement, which expired in June 2026.

Dr Anti pointed out that not resolving the issues prior to the strike indicated a lack of urgency on the part of the authorities. He also dismissed the idea that validating over 51,000 teacher promotion claims would be sufficient to end the strike, as validation does not equate to payment. According to Dr Anti, the teachers are still waiting for their payments, and prematurely ending the strike could lead to additional delays.

He emphasized that past experiences have shown that suspending industrial action based on government promises often resulted in unresolved issues. Dr Anti urged the government to use the ongoing negotiations to resolve the outstanding issues, ensuring that teachers can return to the classroom. His remarks came after renewed talks between the unions, FWSC, and the Ghana Education Service on October 6, which did not yield an agreement.

The parties are set to meet again on October 7 to continue efforts in resolving the issues behind the nationwide strike by pre-tertiary teachers.