Teacher unions’ strike: Minority demands immediate payment of teacher arrears, 20% deprived area allowance

The Minority in Parliament has called on the government to urgently resolve outstanding concerns raised by the country’s teacher unions to avert an indefinite industrial action.

According to the Minority, the planned strike by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) was linked to unresolved issues concerning teachers’ conditions of service.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Member of Parliament for Suhum and Deputy Ranking Member of the Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions Committee, Frank Asiedu Bekoe, on Friday, September 25, 2026.

The Minority said the delays in negotiating a new Collective Agreement, the failure to automatically place teachers who have been promoted after successfully passing aptitude tests, and the non-payment of the Deprived Area Allowance are provided for under Section 17(2) of the 2024 Collective Agreement for Teaching Staff within the Ghana Education Service.

The Caucus said the issues raised by the unions were not new demands but agreed conditions of service which, it alleged, had not been implemented by the government through the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD).

It further linked the dispute to what it described as poor learning outcomes, citing the performance recorded in the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

The Minority argued that the concerns affecting teachers could have implications for the quality of education, saying, “when you frustrate the teacher, you fail the child.”

It said the reported BECE performance should prompt the government to pay greater attention to the welfare and working conditions of teachers.

• Read also: Teacher unions declare nationwide strike over unpaid promotion arrears and delayed negotiations

The Caucus also criticised what it described as the government’s failure to fully implement agreements reached with the teacher unions, including directives relating to the Deprived Area Allowance.

It therefore called on the government to immediately engage GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG and conclude negotiations on the new Collective Agreement.

The Minority further demanded that the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department place all promoted teachers on their new grades and pay their outstanding arrears from January 2026.

It also called for the immediate implementation of the 20 per cent Deprived Area Allowance for teachers working in hard-to-reach communities.

Mr Asiedu Bekoe said the government must prioritise the concerns of teachers and the broader needs of the education sector.

“Government must prioritise the classroom over distractions. If we lose our teachers, we lose our nation,” he said.

The teacher unions have announced an indefinite industrial action over the unresolved issues, putting further pressure on the government to engage the unions and address their concerns.