Members of the Teacher Unions, comprising the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT/PRETAG), have declared a nationwide industrial action effective Friday, September 25, over what they describe as government’s foot-dragging on longstanding conditions of service issues.
In a press release jointly signed by Thomas T. Musah, General Secretary of GNAT; Jacob Anaaba, President of NAGRAT; and King Ali Awudu, President of PRETAG, the Unions said it has observed with grave concern the uneasy calm, growing tension and agitations among teachers owing to a lukewarm attitude by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD), as well as the general delay by government in addressing teachers’ concerns.
Among the issues raised, the Unions cited delays in the negotiation of a new Collective Agreement.
According to the members, the existing agreement expired and negotiations, which should have been completed on or before June 2026, are yet to be concluded despite the matter being raised with the FWSC on several occasions.
The Unions also complained of a failure to automatically place newly promoted teachers on their appropriate salary scales.
It noted that two cohorts of teachers who sat for the aptitude test in December 2025 and February 2026, and were successful, have still not been placed on their respective scales with arrears effective January 2026, as agreed between the Ministry of Education (MoE), the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Teacher Unions.
Additionally, the Unions pointed to the non-implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.
It explained that under Section 17(2) of the 2024 Collective Agreement, the MoE and GES are to review the Deprived Area Report for implementation, after which the Teacher Unions and FWSC are to negotiate the applicable figures.
The Unions said this is yet to happen, describing it as a disregard for the stipulation in the Collective Agreement.
All the members further described the FWSC’s attitude as not only a disregard for a 2024 ruling by the National Labour Commission (NLC), but also a disregard for a directive by President John Dramani Mahama that teachers in deprived and hard-to-reach areas be paid a 20 percent allowance on their basic salary as motivation.
They said the unresolved issues have created widespread disaffection, anger and disillusionment among their rank and file, describing the situation as an act of provocation which has culminated in the industrial action.
They are convinced the nationwide strike is meant to press home their demands.