The three major teacher unions in Ghana have declared a nationwide industrial action effective today, Friday, September 25, 2026, over what they describe as prolonged delays in addressing key concerns affecting teachers.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Education Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) announced the strike in a joint statement issued on Friday.
The unions said negotiations for a new Collective Agreement remain outstanding despite the expiration of the existing agreement.
“The existing Collective Agreement has expired. Unfortunately, the negotiation of the new one, which should have been completed on or before June 2026, has not been done.”
They are also demanding the automatic placement of teachers who successfully completed aptitude tests in December 2025 and February 2026 on the appropriate salary scales.
According to the unions, failure to implement the agreement reached between the Ministry of Education/Ghana Education Service and the unions has heightened tensions among teachers.
Another key demand is the implementation of the deprived area allowance for teachers working in hard-to-reach communities.
The unions said the 2024 Collective Agreement requires the Ministry of Education and GES to review the Deprived Area Report before negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
“According to Section 17(2) of the 2024 Collective Agreement, ‘The MoE and the GES shall review the Deprived Area Report for implementation. The Teacher Unions shall then negotiate the figures with the FWSC.’ As of today, this has not been done, in utter disregard of this stipulation in the Collective Agreement.”
The unions said the unresolved issues had created widespread dissatisfaction among their members, prompting the decision to withdraw their services.
The strike centres on three outstanding issues: negotiations for a new Collective Agreement, salary placement for teachers who passed the recent aptitude tests, and implementation of the deprived area allowance.
