Central Region Teacher Unions appeal to Mahama to intervene in strike

The leadership of the three major pre-tertiary teacher unions in the Central Region has called on President John Dramani Mahama to personally intervene in the ongoing dispute between teachers and government institutions.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, the unions said the issues behind the strike remained unresolved despite several engagements with the government and other relevant bodies, and urged the President to help broker a deal.

"Timely presidential intervention could facilitate meaningful engagement among the parties and contribute to resolving the issues in the interest of teachers, learners and the wider education sector," the statement said.

It was read and signed by Mr Martin Ajono Adonis, Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and also signed by Madam Salamatu Gausu, Regional Chairperson of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and Mr Eric Kow Appiah, Regional Chairman of the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).

The appeal comes as the nationwide strike, which began on Friday, September 25, 2026, enters its second week, disrupting teaching and learning in thousands of basic and secondary schools.

The unions attribute the action to prolonged delays, unfulfilled promises and a lack of concrete action by key institutions, particularly the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), the Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD) and the Ghana Education Service (GES).

They said negotiations on a new Collective Agreement governing teachers' conditions of service should have been concluded by June 2026 but remain outstanding, even though the existing agreement has expired. Despite several rounds of talks and public appeals from the Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the unions said they had received only "promises upon promises" with no tangible action on the ground.

The unions also urged CAGD to review its requirement that individual teachers submit hard copies of promotion letters and input forms before their promotions are reflected on the payroll. While acknowledging the need for payroll validation and accountability, they argued that the administrative burden should not fall on teachers when GES already holds the relevant records.

They proposed that GES submit a master list of duly promoted teachers to CAGD for payroll processing, saying this would allow eligible teachers to be placed promptly on the right salary scales and paid the benefits due to them.

"We further appeal to CAGD to engage the Teacher Unions on this matter and consider an arrangement that preserves the necessary verification controls while avoiding unnecessary delays for individual teachers," the statement said.

In the absence of an agreement and clear timelines on the outstanding issues, the regional leadership reaffirmed its support for the national leadership's decision to keep the strike in force.

"We therefore call on all members of GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG in the Central Region to remain calm, united, disciplined and committed to the directives of the national leadership," the statement said.

"Members are urged to continue to comply with the directives of the Teacher Unions until an official communication is issued regarding the suspension or termination of the industrial action."

The unions stressed that their aim was not to disrupt education unnecessarily but to secure a meaningful resolution of legitimate concerns affecting teachers and the wider education sector. They appealed to parents, guardians, students and the public for understanding and urged all parties to approach the talks with urgency and openness so that normal teaching and learning can resume while teachers' welfare is protected.