Education Minister meets teacher unions today for threatening strike

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu is expected to meet the leadership of Ghana’s three pre-tertiary teacher unions today, Monday, to address outstanding concerns over unpaid promotion arrears and other unresolved demands.

The meeting will bring together representatives of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PTAG), the Ministry of Education, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department.

The discussions are aimed at finding a resolution to the issues that have led the three unions to declare a nationwide strike.

The industrial action began on Friday, September 25, 2026, following what the unions described as prolonged delays, unfulfilled commitments and increasing frustration over matters affecting teachers.

A major concern is the delay in concluding negotiations for a new collective agreement. The unions said the existing agreement had expired and negotiations for a replacement, which they expected to conclude by June 2026, had yet to be completed despite several engagements with the FWSC.

The unions are also demanding the automatic placement of teachers who successfully passed promotion examinations in December 2025 and February 2026 onto the appropriate salary scales.

They want the resulting salary arrears to be paid with effect from January 2026.

Another key demand is the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance for teachers working in underserved communities.

According to the unions, repeated engagements with government institutions have failed to resolve the outstanding matters, leaving them with industrial action as their next course.

The meeting with the Education Minister is therefore expected to focus on the various demands and explore measures to resolve the dispute and facilitate the return of teachers to the classroom.