BY Daniel Bampoe
The Minority in Parliament has blamed the government’s handling of teachers’ conditions of service for the nationwide industrial action declared by the three major teacher unions, warning that the dispute could further disrupt the already troubled education system.
The Minority Caucus Committee on Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions reacted after the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers’ Unions (PRETAG) announced an indefinite nationwide strike effective Friday, September 25, 2026.
In a press statement signed by the Deputy Ranking Member of the Committee and Member of Parliament for Suhum, Frank Asiedu Bekoe, the Minority said the grievances presented by the unions were not new demands but issues arising from existing agreements and conditions of service that government agencies had allegedly failed to implement.
The three teacher unions cited three principal reasons for the industrial action: delays in negotiating a new Collective Agreement, failure to automatically place newly promoted teachers on their appropriate salary scales after they successfully completed aptitude tests, and the failure to implement the Deprived Area Allowance for teachers working in hard-to-reach communities.
The unions said the existing Collective Agreement had expired and that negotiations for a new agreement, which should have been completed by June 2026, had still not been concluded.
According to GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG, repeated engagements with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) over the matter had failed to produce the desired outcome, creating growing frustration among teachers.
The unions also accused the government and relevant institutions of failing to implement an agreement concerning teachers who successfully completed aptitude tests in December 2025 and February 2026.
They said two cohorts of teachers who passed the examinations were expected to be automatically placed on their respective salary scales, with arrears effective from January 2026. The unions contend that the failure to implement the arrangement has generated anger among affected teachers and the wider membership.
Another major point of contention is the Deprived Area Allowance.
The teacher unions cited Section 17(2) of the 2024 Collective Agreement for Teaching Staff within the Ghana Education Service, which provides for a review of the Deprived Area Report and subsequent negotiations on the allowance with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
They said the process had not been completed and accused the relevant authorities of disregarding the provision.
The unions further referred to a 2024 ruling by the National Labour Commission (NLC), as well as a directive attributed to President John Dramani Mahama concerning a 20 per cent allowance for teachers working in deprived or hard-to-reach communities.
They argued that the continued failure to implement the allowance had contributed to dissatisfaction and disillusionment among teachers, eventually culminating in the decision to withdraw their services nationwide.
The Minority has seized on the dispute to mount pressure on the government, arguing that the conditions confronting teachers should be viewed against the backdrop of the education outcomes.
The Caucus specifically linked the impending disruption to what it described as the “massive and historic failure” recorded in the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The Minority argued that poor learning outcomes cannot be considered separately from the conditions under which teachers operate, contending that a demotivated teaching workforce could have consequences for students’ academic performance.
The statement said the BECE results should therefore not be viewed solely as a failure of pupils but also as a reflection of the broader challenges confronting the education system.
The Minority accused the government of failing to adequately motivate teachers despite campaign commitments to improve their conditions of service.
It also questioned the extent to which the government’s much-publicised 24-Hour Economy policy was translating into tangible improvements for teachers and other public-sector workers.
The Caucus has consequently called on the government to immediately reopen negotiations with GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG and conclude the new Collective Agreement.
It is also demanding that the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) immediately place all successfully promoted teachers on their appropriate salary scales and pay the arrears due to them from January 2026.
The Minority further wants the government to implement without further delay the 20 per cent Deprived Area Allowance for teachers serving in hard-to-reach communities.
The demands come at a time when the nationwide strike threatens to disrupt teaching and learning across public schools, placing additional pressure on government to resolve the dispute.
The teacher unions said their decision followed what they described as prolonged delays, unfulfilled commitments and the failure of duty bearers, including the FWSC and CAGD, to address their concerns.
They maintained that the industrial action was not taken lightly but had become necessary after growing anger among teachers and repeated attempts to resolve the issues.
The unions have therefore called on their members across the country to participate in the strike until their concerns are addressed.
“If we lose our teachers, we lose our nation,” the Minority said, warning that the government must act quickly to prevent the labour dispute from causing further disruption to education.
The unfolding standoff now places the Mahama administration under pressure to engage the unions and resolve the outstanding issues, particularly the Collective Agreement, salary placement and the Deprived Area Allowance, as the nationwide industrial action takes effect.
