Head of Salaries for the Ghana National Association of Teachers, Mr Isaac Baah has called for the direct processing of teachers’ promotions to prevent further delays in salary adjustments. He argued that the existing procedure already provides sufficient checks through the Ghana Education Service and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department.
Speaking after a meeting with the Education Minister, the Head of Salaries explained that GES conducts promotion examinations and releases the results through an established master list. He indicated that the list is subsequently submitted to the Controller for placement, making an additional requirement for teachers to submit individual promotion letters unnecessary.
Mr Baah challenged the justification for introducing another validation stage after teachers have successfully completed the promotion process. He noted that the current arrangement could create further delays for teachers who have already satisfied the requirements for promotion.
“GES conducts promotion interviews or exams and releases the results based on a master list. They submit this master list to Controller for placement, as simple as that.”
Isaac Baah
Directing attention to the validation argument, Mr Baah explained that government workers are already subjected to monthly payroll validation procedures. He added that schools have designated validators while Circuit Supervisors also participate in the process to confirm the status of staff.
The Head of Salaries therefore questioned the need for another layer of verification before promoted teachers receive their appropriate salary placement. He argued that the additional process could delay payments that teachers have already earned through the promotion system.
Referencing an agreement reached on August 31, Mr Baah recalled that the Controller and Accountant General was present when the arrangements concerning the promotion process were discussed. He therefore questioned the emergence of a different requirement after the agreement had been reached.
Mr Baah further explained that the established practice had operated for several years without the current requirement for teachers to submit promotion letters individually. He maintained that GES previously forwarded the relevant master list to the Controller for the necessary payroll adjustments.
He also challenged the argument that additional validation was necessary to prevent improper salary placements. According to the Head of Salaries, the existing monthly validation mechanisms already provide an avenue for identifying and correcting payroll irregularities.
The dispute, he noted, centres on ensuring that teachers who have successfully completed the promotion process receive their appropriate placement without unnecessary administrative delays. Mr Baah therefore called for adherence to the procedure agreed by the stakeholders during their earlier engagement.
GNAT Links Strike Resolution to Collective Agreement and Allowances
Head of Salaries for the Ghana National Association of Teachers, Mr Isaac Baah also linked the resolution of the ongoing teachers’ strike to progress on the outstanding collective agreement and related allowances. He explained that negotiations on the agreement had remained unresolved despite a proposal submitted to government in August last year.
Mr Baah disclosed that the existing collective agreement expired in June 2026. He explained that a saving clause allows the previous agreement to remain in force until a new one is negotiated, agreed and signed.
However, the Head of Salaries noted that some provisions contain specific timelines and therefore could not simply continue under the expired arrangement. He cited the continuous professional development allowance as an example, explaining that its previous provision covered a two-year period.
On the upcoming negotiations, Mr Baah indicated that the next meeting would focus specifically on the collective agreement. He stressed that the teachers’ unions expect meaningful progress towards concluding a new agreement after months of negotiations.
“The government is not showing any seriousness with regards to this collective agreement. We expected that by now that agreement must be done and we should have our new collective agreement.”
Isaac Baah
Directing attention to the financial implications of the delay, Mr Baah explained that the continuous professional development allowance is normally paid in September. He noted that teachers are yet to receive the allowance because negotiations on the new agreement remain incomplete.
The Head of Salaries also outlined the condition under which the union would consider ending the strike. He explained that government would need to place the remaining 80,000 teachers within the agreed promotion arrangement while providing a clear commitment on payment of the deprived area allowance.
Mr Baah indicated that an agreement covering the outstanding matters could provide a basis for teachers to return to the classroom. He stressed that the union requires concrete implementation measures and a defined payment timeline to resolve the industrial action.
The Head of Salaries connected the dispute to the implementation of commitments previously reached between the unions and government. He argued that the August 31 agreement provides a framework for addressing some of the outstanding issues.
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