The Pre-Tertiary Teacher Unions in the Northern Region, comprising GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG-Northern, have reaffirmed their full and unequivocal support for the ongoing nationwide teacher strike, declaring that the industrial action will continue unabated until concrete steps are taken to resolve longstanding grievances with government.
Addressing the press, the regional leadership of the three unions expressed profound disappointment and outrage at what they described as an indifferent and lackadaisical attitude demonstrated by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
The Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD), and government toward the legitimate grievances of teachers.
The unions said that since the strike was declared on Friday, 25 September 2026, the key stakeholders involved, the FWSC, CAGD and government, have shown little commitment to addressing their concerns.
They described the silence, inaction and apparent disregard shown by these institutions as having only deepened frustration among their members.
Collective Agreement Still Unresolved
On the first outstanding issue, the unions noted that the existing Collective Agreement has expired, with negotiations for its replacement expected to conclude by June 2026.
They said these negotiations remain incomplete, attributing the delay directly to foot-dragging, bureaucratic bottlenecks and an uncompromising posture adopted by the FWSC and government.
“Teachers cannot continue to operate under expired conditions of service while authorities fail in their responsibility to complete negotiations.”
Northern Region Teacher Union
The unions gave a detailed account of a meeting held in August 2026 involving the Ministry of Education, CAGD and the teacher unions under the auspices of the sector minister, at which it was agreed that newly promoted teachers would be automatically migrated onto their respective salary scales, with outstanding arrears effective January 2026 paid by the end of September 2026.
According to the unions, CAGD subsequently reneged on this agreement and failed to implement the automatic placement as promised.
They characterised this as a blatant refusal to honour a mutually agreed roadmap, describing it as a grave act of disrespect toward teachers and a clear demonstration of bad faith.
“We are not prepared to accept another round of promises that payments are being processed. We want concrete evidence.”
Northern Region Teacher Union
Deprived Area Allowance Still Unimplemented
The unions also raised concern over the continued non-implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance, citing Section 17(2) of the 2024 Collective Agreement, which requires the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to review the Deprived Area Report, after which the unions would negotiate applicable figures with the FWSC.
They said this process has still not been undertaken, describing it as a blatant violation of the Collective Agreement and a disregard for commitments made to teachers serving in some of the country’s most underserved communities.
The unions further linked this failure to a 2024 ruling by the National Labour Commission and a directive by President John Dramani Mahama instructing that teachers in deprived and hard-to-reach communities receive a 20 percent allowance on their basic salary as an incentive to serve in such areas.
The unions stated categorically that teachers have exercised patience, restraint and good faith throughout their engagements with government, but said these efforts have been met instead with neglect, broken promises and continuous delays.
They declared that they hold the FWSC, CAGD and government fully responsible for the industrial unrest currently affecting the education sector, insisting that the strike would persist until concrete action is taken to address the grievances and honour commitments previously made to teachers.
Call For Unity Among Northern Teachers
The regional leadership urged all teachers across the Northern Region to remain resolute, united and committed to the collective struggle for fairness, dignity and justice, framing the dispute as one affecting the teaching profession as a whole rather than any single group of educators.
They closed their statement with a declaration of solidarity, describing an injury to one teacher as an injury to all teachers, and affirming their determination to defend the rights and welfare of the profession collectively.
As the Northern Region’s teacher unions formally align themselves with the national leadership’s strike declaration, the region’s basic and senior high schools are expected to remain affected by the withdrawal of teaching services.
The unions’ firm stance suggests that any resolution to the dispute will require tangible, verifiable action on the Collective Agreement, promotion placements and the Deprived Area Allowance, rather than further assurances from the implicated government agencies.
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