The Ministry of Education is scheduled to meet Ghana’s three major pre-tertiary teacher unions on Monday, September 28, 2026, as government seeks to resolve a dispute over unpaid promotion arrears, teacher salaries and other outstanding demands.
The planned meeting comes after the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) declared a nationwide strike over unresolved concerns affecting teachers.
The unions announced the industrial action after government failed to meet their demands concerning promotion allowances, salary adjustments and other conditions of service.
Education Ministry Seeks to End Ghana Teachers Strike
The Press Secretary and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Hasmin Mohammed, confirmed that Education Minister intends to engage the teacher unions in an effort to resolve the dispute and prevent the strike from causing further disruption to Ghana’s academic calendar.
According to him, the Minister is expected to meet representatives of the three unions on Monday to continue discussions and persuade them to call off the industrial action.
The meeting will provide an opportunity for the government, teacher unions and relevant institutions to address the outstanding issues affecting teachers.
GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG Declare Nationwide Strike
The three teacher unions declared the nationwide industrial action after their concerns over unpaid promotion arrears and delays in negotiations remained unresolved.
The unions had given government until midday on September 24, 2026, to take action on their demands.
However, they said the deadline passed without a satisfactory resolution.
In a joint statement dated September 25, the unions said their decision followed what they described as prolonged delays, unfulfilled commitments and increasing frustration among teachers.
They subsequently announced that the nationwide strike would take effect from Friday, September 25, 2026.
Teacher Unions Raise Three Major Concerns
The teacher unions identified three major issues at the centre of the dispute.
These include the delay in negotiating a new Collective Agreement, the failure to automatically place teachers who have been promoted on the appropriate salary scales, and the non-implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.
According to the unions, the existing Collective Agreement has expired, while negotiations for a replacement agreement remain incomplete.
They said discussions on the new agreement were expected to have been concluded by June 2026 but remained outstanding.
The unions added that they had repeatedly raised the matter with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) without reaching a resolution.
Teachers Demand Payment of Promotion Arrears
Another major issue involves teachers who successfully passed their promotion examinations in December 2025 and February 2026.
The teacher unions are demanding that the affected teachers be automatically placed on their appropriate salary scales and paid the arrears due to them.
They are seeking payment of the outstanding salary arrears dating back to January 2026.
The unions have argued that delays in implementing the promotions have created financial difficulties for affected teachers and contributed to the decision to embark on industrial action.
Fair Wages Commission and Controller-General to Join Talks
The Education Ministry has explained that resolving the dispute requires the involvement of institutions beyond the Ministry itself.
Hasmin Mohammed said the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department would have to participate in discussions because of the financial and salary-related aspects of the teachers’ demands.
He said Monday’s meeting would therefore provide a platform for the relevant government institutions and teacher unions to engage directly on the outstanding issues.
The government hopes the engagement will lead to an agreement and an end to the nationwide teachers’ strike.
Ministry Worried About Impact on Academic Calendar
The Ministry of Education has expressed concern about the potential impact of the strike on Ghana’s academic calendar.
Hasmin Mohammed said the Ministry was deeply worried that continued industrial action could disrupt efforts to restore stability to the education system.
He explained that significant efforts had already been made to return the academic calendar to a more harmonised schedule following previous disruptions.
According to the Ministry, students and pupils from kindergarten through to the university level only recently resumed academic activities in September.
The Ministry is therefore concerned that a prolonged teachers’ strike could further disrupt teaching and learning and delay efforts to maintain a stable Ghana education calendar.
Government and Teacher Unions to Resume Negotiations
The Monday meeting is expected to focus on the outstanding teacher promotion arrears, salary placement, Collective Agreement negotiations and Deprived Area Allowance.
The outcome of the engagement could determine whether GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG suspend their nationwide strike and return to the classroom.
The dispute has renewed attention on teacher welfare, conditions of service and salary administration in Ghana’s education sector, with both government and teacher unions under pressure to reach an agreement that protects the academic calendar while addressing the concerns of affected teachers.
Source: newsthemegh.com