Omanghana
Three major pre-tertiary teacher unions in Ghana have suspended their planned nationwide industrial action following discussions with the Ministry of Education over delayed salary adjustments for promoted teachers.
The unions are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).
The decision followed a high-level meeting involving Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu and Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Apaak. The agreement has temporarily averted a strike that could have disrupted teaching and learning in basic and secondary schools across the country.
The dispute centered on delays in migrating newly promoted teachers onto their appropriate salary scales and paying the financial benefits attached to their new ranks.
The unions had issued a deadline and warned that their members would withdraw their services if the matter was not resolved promptly.
The Ghana Education Service had previously assured affected teachers that adjustments to their salaries following promotion would be processed automatically by August 2026.
However, the process encountered another administrative setback after the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department requested additional lists and physical documents before implementing the upgrades.
During the meeting, the Ministry of Education provided a new roadmap to resolve the problem. Under the arrangement, the Ghana Education Service will submit all required and validated information directly to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department.
The measure is expected to eliminate the documentation challenges that delayed the migration process and allow affected teachers to begin receiving their upgraded salaries from September 2026.
Following the assurance, the unions agreed to suspend their planned industrial action in good faith and give the government an opportunity to fulfil its commitment.
Union leaders, however, stressed that the strike had only been placed on hold and had not been abandoned entirely.
They said they would closely monitor the implementation process to ensure that all eligible teachers are migrated onto their correct salary scales within the agreed period.
The unions cautioned that any further delay or failure to honor the September payment timeline could force their leadership to reconsider the suspension and determine the next course of action.
The agreement offers temporary relief to students, parents and school administrators who were concerned about the potential effect of a nationwide strike on academic activities.
Source: Omanghana
