The striking teacher unions have rejected calls to return to the classroom, insisting that they will remain on strike until outstanding salaries and promotion arrears are paid and concrete progress is made on their demands. The position was reiterated after the unions met the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, and his team to discuss the ongoing industrial action.
The unions involved in the strike are the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG). Their action has disrupted teaching in pre-tertiary schools as they press the government to address outstanding financial obligations and advance negotiations on their conditions of service.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Head of Salaries, Grievances and Negotiations at GNAT, Isaac Baah, explained that the unions were no longer prepared to suspend their action based solely on assurances from government officials. He noted that similar promises had been made in previous engagements without providing the tangible resolution teachers are seeking.
“Indeed, we met the minister and his team this afternoon with regard to our strike action. It has been the old story of promises upon promises.”
Isaac Baah
Mr Baah therefore made clear that the unions now expect evidence of implementation before considering any return to the classroom. He indicated that teachers want the government to demonstrate that the commitments discussed during the engagement have translated into actual payments.
On the issue of outstanding payments, Mr Baah explained that the unions expect the arrears and salaries owed to teachers to appear on their payslips and be credited to their accounts. He stressed that such evidence would provide the basis for any consideration of ending the industrial action.
“Our teachers must continue to stay home until we see something concrete. Until we see the salary and the arrears reflecting on our payslips and credited to our accounts, until we see that, we are not going back to school.”
Isaac Baah
The GNAT representative further outlined the specific condition the unions have set before teachers resume teaching. According to him, the mere assurance that payments are being processed will not be sufficient to bring the strike to an end.
Meanwhile, the unions have also linked the strike to unresolved negotiations over their conditions of service. Mr Baah explained that the outstanding matters must be addressed comprehensively before the unions can reconsider their position.
The unions’ stance therefore places implementation at the centre of any further engagement with government. Until tangible action is demonstrated through payment of the outstanding obligations and progress on the unresolved issues, the striking teachers are expected to remain away from the classroom.
Teacher Strike Deepens After Unresolved Promotion And Service Demands
The nationwide strike by Ghana’s major pre-tertiary teacher unions has emerged from months of unresolved disputes over promotion placement, salary arrears and conditions of service. NAGRAT, GNAT and PRETAG declared the industrial action on September 25 after an earlier deadline given to government elapsed without all outstanding matters being resolved.
At the centre of the disagreement is an earlier arrangement under which teachers who successfully completed promotion examinations were expected to be placed on their appropriate salary scales. The unions had also been seeking payment of arrears dating from January 2026, following an agreement reached with government during an August 31 meeting.
That engagement initially eased the prospect of industrial action, with the unions receiving assurances that affected teachers would be placed on their correct grades by the end of September. The agreement further provided that where some placements were not completed within the period, a supplementary payroll would be used to address the outstanding cases.
However, the implementation process was incomplete as the September deadline approached, prompting the unions to issue an ultimatum to government on September 22. They gave the authorities until midday on September 24 to resolve the outstanding promotion and salary issues or face industrial action.
Beyond promotion arrears, the unions have identified the delayed renewal of their Collective Agreement as another major issue in the dispute. The existing agreement expired in June 2026, while negotiations on a replacement agreement have remained unresolved despite engagements with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
Another outstanding demand involves the Deprived Area Allowance for teachers working in underserved communities. The unions have also pressed for implementation of arrangements affecting teachers who successfully completed promotion examinations in December 2025 and February 2026.
Against this, the three unions directed pre-tertiary teachers to withdraw their services nationwide from September 25. Their action has placed renewed pressure on the Education Ministry to resolve the dispute while schools work to maintain an already disrupted academic calendar.
The Education Ministry has since engaged the unions and other institutions, including the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, in an effort to resolve the outstanding matters. The latest CAGD update indicates that thousands of promotion cases have been processed, although the unions continue to insist that their wider demands require further action before they return to the classroom.
Consequently, the dispute has moved beyond a single payment issue to encompass promotion implementation, collective bargaining and allowances for teachers in deprived areas. The unions’ industrial action now hinges on whether the remaining commitments are translated into concrete outcomes that can be verified by affected teachers.
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