The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) have declared a nationwide strike effective Friday, September 25, 2026, following the government’s failure to resolve outstanding issues involving promotion-related payments and other conditions of service.
The three teacher unions had given the government until midday on Thursday, September 24, to address their concerns.
In a joint statement dated September 25, the unions said the decision followed what they described as prolonged delays, unfulfilled commitments and growing frustration among teachers over unresolved issues.
“In light of the above circumstances and given the delays, unfulfilled promises on the part of the duty bearers and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), as well as threats by the rank-and-file of our members, we, the teacher unions, do stand with our members and hereby declare a nationwide industrial action (Strike), effective today, Friday, 25th September 2026,” the statement said.
The unions outlined three major issues underlying the industrial action: delays in negotiating a new Collective Agreement, the failure to automatically place newly promoted teachers on the appropriate salary scales, and the non-implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.
Collective Agreement negotiations
According to the unions, the existing Collective Agreement has expired, while negotiations for a new agreement remain outstanding.
They said the negotiations should have been completed by June 2026 but have yet to be concluded.
The unions said they had raised the matter with the FWSC on several occasions without a resolution.
Promotion-related arrears
The unions are also demanding the automatic placement of teachers who successfully passed promotion examinations in December 2025 and February 2026 onto their respective salary scales.
They are further demanding payment of the resulting arrears effective January 2026.
According to the unions, the failure to implement the arrangement has created tension and anger among affected teachers.
Deprived Area Allowance
The unions also cited the non-implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance as another outstanding concern.
They referenced provisions in the 2024 Collective Agreement requiring the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to review the Deprived Area Report as a basis for implementation.
Following the review, the unions and the FWSC were expected to negotiate the applicable allowance.
The unions, however, said the process remains incomplete.
They further expressed concern over what they described as the failure to honour a directive concerning incentives for teachers working in deprived and hard-to-reach areas.
The three unions said the unresolved issues had resulted in “widespread disaffection, anger, and disillusionment” among their members.
The nationwide strike takes effect from Friday, September 25, with the unions maintaining that the action follows their stated deadline for the government to address the outstanding concerns.
