Striking teacher unions have rejected government’s appeal to suspend their nationwide industrial action, insisting that they will only return to the classroom after concrete measures are taken to address their concerns.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) have maintained that outstanding salaries and arrears must be addressed as part of efforts to resolve the impasse.
The position follows a meeting between the leadership of the three unions and Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu.
Officials from the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD), Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and Ghana Education Service (GES) also participated in the discussions, which sought to find solutions to the issues that led to the strike.
The unions commenced the nationwide industrial action on Friday, September 25, 2026, disrupting teaching and learning in several public schools across the country.
During the meeting, Mr Iddrisu appealed to the unions to suspend the strike and return to the classroom while negotiations on their grievances continue.
He expressed concern about the possible impact of the strike on the academic calendar, which has recently been restored to the September-to-July cycle.
As part of measures to address the concerns, the Education Minister directed the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service to submit data on all promoted teachers to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department by the end of the week.
Government says the ongoing engagements are intended to create a pathway for resolving the outstanding issues and restoring normal academic activities.
Minister for Labour, Employment and Job Creation, Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, who chairs the committee leading the negotiations, also appealed to the unions to suspend the strike and allow the discussions to continue.
He urged the teachers to give the negotiation process an opportunity to address the outstanding concerns.
Despite the assurances from government, the unions say they are unwilling to suspend the strike without tangible action on their demands.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Isaac Baah, Head of Salaries, Grievances and Negotiations at GNAT, said teachers wanted concrete steps to be taken before they would consider returning to work.
He said teachers had become increasingly frustrated by what they described as repeated assurances without a full resolution of the issues.
PRETAG Vice President Adokwei Ayikwei-Awulley also confirmed that the strike would continue.
He said teachers had become dissatisfied with promises and were now demanding tangible action from government.
The unions’ decision means the disruption to teaching and learning in affected public schools will continue as negotiations between the parties remain ongoing.
While government maintains that the unions should return to work and allow the discussions to proceed, the teachers insist that the payment of outstanding salaries and arrears remains critical to any decision to suspend the strike.
The latest meeting has therefore failed to secure an immediate end to the industrial action, with further engagements expected as government and the unions work towards resolving the outstanding issues.
READ ALSO:
Teachers’ strike continues as PRETAG accuses government of treating their concerns like “football”
Education Minister outlines roadmap to address striking teachers’ concerns
