Teacher unions suspend planned strike after 'sweet' talks

A coalition of teacher unions has suspended its planned strike over delays in placing newly promoted teachers on their appropriate salary scales.

The decision was reached after the unions met with the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, on Monday, August 31, following their threat to embark on industrial action if the matter remained unresolved by the end of the day.

The unions had expressed frustration over the failure to implement the promotions of affected teachers, leaving them without the salary adjustments and other financial benefits associated with their new ranks.

The impasse reportedly followed a directive from the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department requiring additional lists and supporting documentation before the promotions could be processed.

The teacher unions had argued that the requirement was contrary to an earlier assurance by the Ghana Education Service (GES) that the automatic promotion system would be implemented by August.

However, the engagement with the Education Minister appears to have eased tensions, with the unions agreeing to suspend their planned industrial action while further discussions are held with the government.

The latest development is expected to allow the Ministry of Education and the teacher unions to continue negotiations aimed at resolving the outstanding salary placement issues and ensuring that affected teachers receive the benefits attached to their promotions.