Teacher unions, including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT-GH), are pushing for the reversal of the Ghana Education Service (GES) directive revoking certain appointments.

On February 17, 2025, the GES announced the immediate revocation of appointments and recruitments for teaching and non-teaching staff who have not been placed on the government payroll. The directive, which takes effect immediately, follows an order from the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah.

However, in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, NAGRAT President Angel Carbonu revealed that some of the revoked appointments were wrongly affected.

According to him, the three union leaders met with some of the affected teachers on Thursday and discovered that over 90% of them did not fall under the category outlined by the GES.

“We have decided to present a petition to the GES Director. Over 90% of the affected teachers do not fall within the category announced, so we will appeal to the GES to review the revocation,” he stated.

He explained that some of the affected teachers had graduated in 2020, completed their national service, and were awaiting appointment, which was being processed in batches.

Mr. Carbonu further stated that steps are being taken to engage the GES Director-General to resolve the matter.

“In Ghana, people are appointed but experience delays in being placed on payroll, so some of them have been caught up in this issue. It is our duty as union leaders to protect them and secure their jobs, and that is exactly what we are going to do. They were not employed after December 7,” he emphasized.

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The unions, which include the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Vice-Chancellors Ghana, and the Vice-Chancellors-Tertiary Union, have vowed not to resume work until their demands are met.

Last week, a meeting between the unions, the Education Minister, and representatives from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission ended without resolution.

The Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Kwarteng, confirmed this decision to JoyNews,

He however acknowledged that some issues remain unresolved.

Mr Kwarteng added that today’s meeting is expected to “cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s” in hopes of reaching a final agreement.

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The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, (CCT-Ghana) have lamented that, the government has failed to implement a signed Collective Agreement (CA) on 24th May 2024.

Per the agreement, the Education Ministry after a month was to initiate the process of engaging the Teacher Unions for the commencement of negotiations on the Deprived Area Allowance.

However, the unions in a joint statement said they are yet to hear from government coupled with their 12-months tier 2 arrears.

Side from this, GES was also to collaborate with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to ensure that the disparities in the salary levels of Deputy Director and below in are corrected.

“It would keep the promise made to the NLC, to deliver the TM 1 laptops on the new deadline of August 31, 2024, and to ensure that this time round, every teacher whose money was deducted receives his/her laptop for the sake of peace in the industrial space,” the statement added.

However, all these concerns among others are yet to be resolved, spurring anger among teachers.

The union has therefore called on GES, Ministry of Education and all the duty bearers to act swiftly to save the precarious and difficult situation currently confronting Teachers by the close of Monday, September 16, 2024.

“If by the close of the said date we do not receive any favorable response, we shall determine the next line of action,” they warned.

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Below is the full statement:

These unions have expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of negotiations on issues such as deprived area allowances and adjustments to continuous development allowances.

They include the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT). 

Speaking to the media, the Regional Secretary of GNAT, Peter Boateng, emphasized the escalating tensions within the labour sector and stressed the urgency of government action to prevent disruptions. 

He underscored the financial burden on teachers due to various taxes and called on the government to allocate resources for the demanded allowances.

Mr. Boateng also highlighted the importance of prioritizing the needs of teachers amidst ongoing negotiations with international bodies like the IMF.

“If the government is negotiating with the IMF for the second tranche, for us as teacher unions, what we need to get from the government is what we are fighting for our members. The government has got its priority and we the teachers have also got our priorities. Our priority must be set and we are hoping that the government will just heed and approve what our leadership has been demanding.

“As you know, the kind of taxes they take from our salaries is not small and therefore the government can just get the revenue it needs from the teachers and other workers in the country to pay off the other allowances that we are demanding.

“You will realise that from the press conference, we were demanding seventeen different kinds of allowances but we thought it is wise that for the economic hardship that we are all in we have reduced it to four. That is what the officer enumerated for the public to hear. So, for me whatever that the teachers are demanding it’s the right thing,” the Regional Secretary of GNAT said.

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The Unions hit the streets of Ho on Friday to call on the government to approve the four recommended allowances tabled by the Unions’ leadership out of 17.

The Unions included the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT-GH).

Clad in red and marching on the streets with aggression, amid singing and dancing, the protesters displayed placards some of which read “Teachers are not beggars”, “We deserve better condition of service”, “Our take home can’t send us home”, “We want our reward on earth,” and “Treat teachers with decency”.

The Volta Regional Secretary of the GNAT, Kassim Seidu Baba, presented a petition containing their demands to the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa.

He outlined the hardship area allowance, supplemental evaluation stipend, educational material/online tutoring assistance stipend, and an increase in the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) allowance as the demands tabled before the government.

Mr. Baba emphasised that the allowances needed to be approved, highlighting the hardship teachers face due to the incidents of high inflation among other economic difficulties.

He said, “our members have been subjected to severe financial strains due to the tough economic realities. The situation has exacerbated, particularly as our teachers are grappling with the severe adversities brought about by the current economic climate.”

The Director of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, Augustus Awitty, who received the petition on behalf of the Minister, assured the protesters of their petition receiving the needed attention.

“We appreciate your dedication to education, and we will ensure that your petition reaches the appropriate authorities for consideration,” he said.

The unions have warned that if their demands are not met before May 13th, they may consider further actions to impress on the government to act on them.

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This follows the suspension of the nationwide strike on April 2, 2024, following an interim injunction secured by the NLC.

After three union called off its strike action which affected academic activities, expectations were high for fruitful discussions to address the teachers’ grievances.

The unions are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT). 

However, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Musah, has said the government’s lack of preparedness is a betrayal of trust and a display of bad faith.

Addressing journalists after a meeting with the NLC on Wednesday, Mr Musah expressed confidence there will be a resolution by the end of the timeline.

“We have not been able to conclude the negotiations hence we came back to inform the Commission and the Commission has given us two more weeks to ensure that we get it done. So all things being equal on the 2nd of May will revert to the Commission as to work done so far.”

“The next move is that we have been given two weeks and we are to go and engage the employer. We believe that this time good faith will prevail for the sake of Mother Ghana. We are going to engage starting today,” he said.

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Final year Junior High School students in particular have expressed concern about the impact of the strike on their preparation for the upcoming Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

According to Mr Awudu, there was no need for these concerns because, as teachers, they are committed to ensuring the success of their students.

Speaking on JoyFM’s Newsnight on Tuesday, March 26, he recounted how teacher unions had devised strategies to teach lessons after the COVID-19 pandemic had forced schools to close down for months.https://www.youtube.com/embed/y1wiKguIO4w

“For the lost time, as teachers we have always done it. For example, when the Covid came and teachers were at home for about 10 months, it was we [teacher unions] that proposed to the government that we wanted to work extra to make up for the lost time. That is why we introduced this semester system in the basic school and all that, where for about four to five months continuously, the children were in school and we were teaching them.

“You go to the Senior High School and additional hours were added to the timetable at no additional remuneration to the teacher. We love the kids and no teacher wants his or her students to fail exams. So, most definitely when we go back we teach them and we know how we are going to handle matters to make up for the lost time. That one I promise you, we are going to handle matters to make up the lost time,”he reiterated.

On March 20, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT-Gh) declared a nationwide strike.

They stated that the strike follows the negotiation of a new collective agreement that should have been completed on or before February 29, 2024, but that was not done.

Meanwhile, the National Labour Commission (NLC) said it has made some progress regarding negotiations with the striking teachers.

At a crucial meeting in Accra on March 26, the Commission resolved three out of the nine concerns raised by the teacher unions.

These issues include the provision of laptops, the reinstatement of salaries blocked by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), and the establishment of terms of service for teachers.

The NLC clarified that negotiations will continue with teachers regarding the remaining six concerns.

Despite this headway, the striking unions are yet to back down.

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On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) jointly announced a nationwide strike due to the government’s delay in responding to the renewal of their collective agreements and other pressing issues.

However, the NLC, in a statement signed by its Chairperson, Justice Kwabena Asuman-Adu, ordered the teacher unions “to rescind the decision of a nationwide strike.”

Reacting to this on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Friday, the General Secretary of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Aku Forson said they will consult their lawyers and determine the next line of action.

Regardless, she said they will will remain on strike until discussions are concluded.

“We will speak to our lawyers and state our next action. Our concerns are very legitimate so we need to come to a consensus. We are still on strike until negotiations are done. No one is interested in going on strike but it’s distressing for teachers,” he said.

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On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) jointly announced a nationwide strike.

They cited the government’s alleged neglect in addressing their service conditions as the basis for their action.

However, the NLC in a statement signed by its Chairperson, Justice Kwabena Asuman-Adu, ordered the teacher unions “to rescind the decision of the declaration of a nationwide strike made on Wednesday 20 March, 2024 and announced on various media networks in the country.The unions are accordingly advised” it added.

Read statement below:

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The unions include: the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT).

The decision stems from what they perceive as the government’s neglect in addressing their conditions of service.

Among the key grievances cited are the continued withholding of teachers’ salaries, unilateral alterations to timetables without prior consultation with the unions, and delays in the distribution of laptops to teachers.

Speaking to the media, the National President of GNAT, Isaac Owusu, urged all teachers to comply with the directive.

Read statemnt below:

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President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu who announced this said the document has been thoroughly researched and if followed, concerns and challenges in the educational system would be effectively addressed.

Speaking on JoyFM’s TopStory on February 12, he said “Leadership of the unions have prepared a document that we are going to share with the political parties and we will be engaging the political parties on the document that we have prepared.”

Although Mr Carbonu did not explicitly state the day the document will be ready, he mentioned that once everything is complete, copies will be sent to relevant stakeholders.

“The document will be ready by next week. I will send you a copy so that we will see which political party will be opened to incorporate it into its manifesto, some of the suggestions that we have made.

“Let us now have a more intellectual discussion or discourse on what a politician can do and what the people expect,” he added.

Responding to questions on whether the country’s budget can meet their demands, the NAGRAT president said “We will suggest to the political parties, how to be able to save money and protect the revenue of the state to provide for our needs and wants.”

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The aggrieved unions include the Ghana National Association of Teachers, the National Association of Graduate Teachers, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers and the Tertiary Educational Workers Union.

The default, according to them, spans over nine months as the last payment was made in March 2022.

This means workers who went on pension last year are in a big mess as their pension calculations would be affected.

In a joint statement by the leadership of the unions, they said the government makes monthly deductions from their salaries for the purpose of the contribution.

However, the government is in arrears of over GH¢400 million.

“The resultant danger of this is that the educational worker is being denied the investment value of his or her contribution,” the statement read in part.

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The groups have, therefore, given the government up to the end of February 2023 to settle all arrears.

Below is the full statement:

This comes after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo extended the contract of service of the Deputy Director-General (Management Services) of the GES, Mr Boateng for a year.

 A press statement dated August 19, 2022, signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, disclosed that the service extension started on August 17, 2022, and is expected to end on August 16, 2023.

“I am pleased to inform you that the President of the Republic has granted you a further one-year contract of service as Deputy Director-General (Management Services) of the Ghana Education Service, effective 17th August 2022 to 16th August 2023.”

However, the union in statement said their demand follows an assessment of concerns raised in opposition to the offer.

“The weekend has been inundated with concerns and agitations by the rank and file of education workers in Pre-Tertiary Education and other stakeholders on the issue of the post retirement contract extension granted to the Deputy Director-General (MS) of Education and also the stay in office of other retired persons in education in the Ghana Education Service.

“The leadership of the unions in Pre-Tertiary Education, having assessed the situation and concerns, call on the former Deputy-Director (MS) of Ghana Education Service, Mr Anthony Boateng to respectfully decline the offer from the President and Ministry of Education,” they said in a press statement issued on Monday, August 22.” 

Read the full statement below:

The unions include members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) , the National Association of Graduate Teachers and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers.

They made the clarion call at a news conference on Tuesday, August 9, 2021, where they detailed major challenges they said have impeded the education system.

The General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Musah, lamented the lack of teaching and learning materials, limited contact hours, issues regarding the upgrade of teachers, transfer of staff to special schools and allowances among others.

Mr Musah stressed the situation has negatively affected academics and there is the need for the GES to immediately intervene and reverse the situation.

He threatened the unions will be forced to embark on a nationwide strike if their demands are not met by September 30.

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Their ultimatum comes at a time when the University Teachers Association of Ghana has declared a nationwide strike over conditions of service.

The members, who are demanding not less than a $ 2,000 salary, have vowed not to return to work until their demands are met.

Watch the video attached for more: