Call off strike, gov’t will not renege on promotion arrears pledge – Haruna Iddrisu appeals to teacher unions

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has appealed to the three teacher unions to consider calling off their nationwide strike, assuring them that the government will honour its commitments on outstanding issues affecting teachers.

Mr Iddrisu said the government’s immediate priority was to restore normal academic work in public schools, which has been disrupted by the industrial action.

Speaking to the media on Friday, October 2, after a meeting with the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), he said the government had made commitments to address the unions’ concerns.

One of the key commitments, he said, relates to the payment of promotion arrears and the placement of promoted teachers on their new grades.

He said the government would ensure that all promoted teachers are placed on their new grades by October 30, 2026.

“The government team makes a commitment to the teacher union and to all teachers that we will honour our commitment of the new grades for all promoted teachers on or before 30th October.”

Mr Iddrisu said the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department was already validating data covering about 51,000 teachers to facilitate payments.

He explained that a supplementary payment schedule would be prepared for those whose data had been validated, while others would receive the new grades and related payments through their October salaries.

The Minister gave an assurance that government would not back down from its commitment.

“Let me repeat that we will not renege on this pledge as government will honour that.”

He appealed to the teacher unions to reciprocate the government’s commitment by ending the industrial action.

“We will use that to persuade our teachers to honour themselves from Monday by considering calling off their industrial action.”

Mr Iddrisu said the government was also addressing the other concerns raised by the unions, including negotiations on their expired conditions of service and the proposed 20 per cent deprived-area allowance.

The unions began their nationwide strike on September 25, 2026, disrupting teaching and learning in public schools.

The government and the unions are expected to continue engagements in the coming days as efforts continue to resolve the outstanding issues and restore normal academic activities.