Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has disclosed that about 28,000 education workers will miss out on their promotion arrears in the October payroll because the verification of their claims is incomplete. He made the disclosure in a media interview on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
He has invited the three teacher unions to an emergency meeting at 11:00 a.m. to agree on a supplementary payment in mid-November or at the end of November. The unions have suspended their industrial action while they engage the government, and Hon Iddrisu asked them to stay calm and keep working.
“We should not shut down the entire payroll system just to address outstanding promotion issues.”
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu
Hon Iddrisu opened with an admission. “I owe them some candor, and the Ghanaian public the same candor,” he told the interviewer, before conceding that the government had promised to clear the arrears by the end of October.
He traced the delay to a bottleneck in payroll processing. Because of it, not every affected worker will receive the arrears with the October salaries that start arriving tomorrow. The Minister described the cause as a compelling one and tied it to the verification process.
Where the 80,000 Promotion Claims Stand
The arrears cover promotions to a new grade. Hon. Iddrisu explained that 80,000 employees were owed arrears, and that the government processed 52,000 of them and paid them on October 16.
The remaining 28,000 include some non-teaching staff. Paying them in October would require approvals to finish today or tomorrow, Hon Iddrisu noted, and that could affect other parts of payroll administration across Ghana. The government would instead have to prepare a special supplementary payroll.
Verification cannot begin before October 28 and, at best, will start next Friday, the Minister stated. When it ends, officials will enter the data for processing and payment.
He gave two possible dates for the supplementary payment, mid-November or the end of November, and left the choice open. Payment will “depend on the discussion I have with the leadership of the teachers’ union,” he stated.
Emergency Meeting With Union Leaders
Hon. Iddrisu disclosed that he had contacted one of the union leaders, King Ali, and asked him to reach the presidents of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), so that all sides could meet at 11:00 a.m. and start the verification process.
He urged members to “remain calm and exercise restraint,” and he added that “there is no cause for concern.” He also asked them to continue their services and keep to their schedules. “We will meet our obligations just as we did for the 52,000; it’s only a matter of time.”
The interviewer asked the question the unions will raise: is the money there? Hon Iddrisu answered that the Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson attended the negotiation meeting and was adamant that the funds are available. On his account, the obstacle is the verification process and not a shortage of cash.
How the Dispute Reached This Point
The arrears dispute grew out of a standoff earlier this autumn. Teacher unions went on a nationwide strike as collective agreement talks stalled with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. The Ministry of Education later commended the unions for suspending the strike.
Eduwatch had proposed a digital system to speed up teacher promotions and payroll placement. Hon Iddrisu noted that the unions are now engaging the Minister of Finance, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Auditor-General and the Ghana Education Service.
Today’s meeting will show whether the unions accept a payment in mid-November or press for the end of the month.
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