Council of State to meet striking teachers today

The Council of State will convene with teacher unions on Friday, October 9 at 1:00 p.m. at its Secretariat to address the ongoing strike by pre-tertiary teachers. The meeting aims to resolve industrial action stemming from employment-related issues like delayed promotions, deprived-area allowances, and a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Ministry of Education.

Invitations from HRM Drolor Rosso Adamtey I, Chairman of the Council’s Economic and Social Development Committee, confirm the gathering will allow unions to express their concerns. The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) have highlighted these outstanding matters as reasons for their strike.

The Controller and Accountant-General Kwasi Agyei reported that the Department has processed promotion records for 52,000 teachers and received necessary input forms from the Ghana Education Service (GES) as of 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 8. This update allows for verification before salary adjustments and arrears payments, initiated following Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu’s September 28 directive requesting the GES Director-General to submit relevant data.

The meeting is anticipated to facilitate discussions on remaining concerns, with stakeholders aiming for a resolution to the dispute.