Education Ministry to meet teacher unions today amidst strike action

The Education Ministry is set to meet today, September 28, with leaders from the teacher unions as efforts ramp up to resolve the nationwide strike concerning unpaid promotion arrears and other unresolved issues.

This meeting aims to unite union representatives and essential government bodies to reach a consensus and prevent the ongoing strike from further disruptinEducation Ministry to meet teacher unions today amidst strike actiong the academic calendar.

The three teacher unions in Ghana, including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana (PRETAG), initiated the strike on Friday, September 25, 2026. They cite lengthy delays in addressing significant concerns impacting teachers as the reason for their action.

The unions expressed that the decision stems from increasing frustration over how the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) are managing their conditions of service. Negotiations for a new Collective Agreement have stalled, despite the current agreement having expired and initial hopes that the discussions would conclude by June 2026.

They are also demanding the automatic placement of newly promoted teachers who successfully completed aptitude tests in December 2025 and February 2026.

The unions said the failure to implement the agreement between the Ministry of Education/Ghana Education Service and CAGD has left the affected teachers without placement on their respective salary scales with arrears dating from January 2026.

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Meanwhile, the Press Secretary and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Hasmin Mohammed, earlier disclosed that Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu would engage the unions and other stakeholders as part of efforts to persuade them to call off the strike.

Mr Mohammed explained that the outstanding issues could not be resolved by the Education Ministry alone, as they also involve the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department.

He said the engagement would therefore provide an opportunity for the relevant institutions to meet the unions and address their concerns directly.

The Ministry has expressed concern about the potential impact of the strike, particularly on efforts to stabilise Ghana’s academic calendar.

Mr Mohammed said significant work had gone into restoring the calendar after previous disruptions, allowing pupils and students from kindergarten through to university to report in September.

He warned that prolonged industrial action could jeopardise those gains, with students only recently returning to school.