Ghana's Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, is set to meet with three pre-tertiary teacher unions on Monday, September 28, in an effort to resolve a nationwide strike that began on Friday, September 25. The strike, declared by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), is over unpaid promotion arrears and other outstanding demands. The unions have expressed frustration over prolonged delays and unfulfilled commitments.
The meeting will bring together the teacher unions, the Education Ministry, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), and the Controller and Accountant-General's Department to discuss the outstanding issues. According to Hasmin Mohammed, Press Secretary at the Ministry of Education, the meeting aims to provide a platform for direct engagement between the unions and relevant institutions to work towards ending the industrial action. The Ministry is concerned about the strike's potential impact on the academic calendar.
The strike comes after previous disruptions to the academic calendar, with pupils and students from kindergarten to university reporting to school in September. The Ministry has made efforts to restore normalcy to the academic calendar. Mr. Mohammed emphasized the Ministry's commitment to working towards an amicable resolution of the issues. The unions have been pressing for the implementation of several demands, including the negotiation of a new Collective Agreement.
One of the major concerns of the unions is the delay in negotiating a new Collective Agreement, which was expected to be completed by June 2026. Despite several engagements with the FWSC, negotiations remain outstanding. The unions are also demanding the automatic placement of teachers who successfully passed promotion examinations in December 2025 and February 2026 on the appropriate salary scales, together with payment of arrears effective January 2026.
Another demand of the unions is the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance for teachers working in deprived communities. The allowance is expected to address the challenges faced by teachers in these areas. The unions have expressed frustration over the delay in addressing these issues, leading to the nationwide strike. The Education Minister's meeting with the unions is seen as a crucial step towards resolving the dispute.
The meeting on September 28 is expected to focus on finding a resolution to the outstanding demands of the unions. The Ministry of Education, FWSC, and other relevant institutions will engage with the unions to address their concerns. A resolution to the dispute is expected to help restore normalcy to the academic calendar, which has been disrupted by the strike.
The outcome of the meeting will be crucial in determining the next steps for the unions and the Ministry. If an agreement is reached, it could lead to the end of the strike and a return to normalcy in the education sector. However, if the meeting fails to yield a resolution, the strike could continue, further disrupting the academic calendar. The Education Minister's meeting with the unions is a critical step towards resolving the dispute.
Key points
- The Ghana Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, will meet with teacher unions on September 28 to resolve disputes over unpaid promotion arrears and other demands.
- The nationwide strike, declared by GNAT, NAGRAT, and PRETAG, is over unpaid promotion arrears and other outstanding demands, including the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.
- The meeting aims to provide a platform for direct engagement between the unions and relevant institutions to work towards ending the industrial action.
