Teacher Unions Declare Nationwide Strike Effective Today Over Unresolved Grievances

The three Teacher Unions – the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) – have declared a nationwide industrial action (strike) effective today, Friday, September 25, 2026.

The Unions announced the decision in a joint press release dated September 25, 2026, and signed by Thomas T. Musah, General Secretary of GNAT, Jacob Anaaba, President of NAGRAT, and King Ali Awudu, President of PRETAG.

According to the Unions, the action has become necessary due to what they describe as an uneasy calm, growing tension and agitations among teachers following the lukewarm attitude of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), as well as feet dragging by government on concerns of teachers.

The Unions cited three main unresolved issues:

*1. Delay in Negotiation of New Collective Agreement:* The Unions said the existing Collective Agreement has expired and the new one, which should have been completed on or before June 2026, has still not been negotiated, despite several reminders to the FWSC.

*2. Failure to Automatically Place Newly Promoted Teachers:* They said an agreement between the Ministry of Education/Ghana Education Service (MoE/GES) and CAGD on one hand and the Teacher Unions on the other, to automatically place two cohorts of teachers who passed the aptitude test in December 2025 and February 2026 on their respective salary scales with arrears effective January 2026, has not been implemented, igniting anger among members.

*3. Failure to Implement Deprived Area Allowance:* The Unions said per Section 17(2) of the 2024 Collective Agreement, the MoE and GES were to review the Deprived Area Report for implementation, after which the Unions would negotiate the figures with the FWSC. This, they said, has not been done.

The Teacher Unions described the attitude of the FWSC as not only a blatant disregard for a National Labour Commission (NLC) ruling in 2024, but also a disregard for a directive by President John Dramani Mahama to ensure that teachers in deprived (hard-to-reach) areas are paid 20% of their basic salary as allowance to motivate them.

"It must be placed on record that these issues have not only created widespread disaffection, anger, and disillusionment among the rank and file of our members, but are also seen as an act of provocation, which has culminated in this industrial action," the statement said.