By Francis Kobena Tandoh
Public Basic and Senior High Schools (SHSs) across the country will resume academic work today, Monday, October 12, following the suspension of a nationwide strike by the three pre-tertiary teacher unions.
The suspension followed engagements with the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment; the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC); and the Council of State with the leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) earlier on Friday.
Mr Thomas Musah, General Secretary of GNAT, urged members to resume work, saying discussions with the FWSC on promotion and deprived-area allowances, as well as outstanding arrears, had been concluded.
Mr Jacob Anaba, President of NAGRAT, assured teachers that they would receive their outstanding arrears.
He said calls by well-meaning Ghanaians for the unions to suspend the strike underscored the importance of teachers’ services.
“We hope not to go to this length of industrial action again. We urge everyone, including the media and the public, to join the advocacy for improved conditions of service for teachers,” he added.
Dr George Smith-Graham, Chief Executive Officer of the FWSC, said the government would announce the modalities for paying the deprived-area allowance in January 2027.
He said arrears relating to promotion and placement would be paid to 51,000 teachers by October 16, with the remaining payments expected to be completed by the end of October.
Dr Smith-Graham said negotiations on the complementary digital instruction support allowance and the continuous professional development allowance had been concluded, with payment expected in November and December 2026 respectively.
He added that negotiations on the continuous professional development allowance had also been completed, with payment expected in December 2026, while negotiations on other outstanding issues would continue.
The three teacher unions declared the strike on September 25 over delays in placing promoted teachers onto their appropriate salary scales, failure to renew the expired collective agreement and the non-implementation of the 20 per cent deprived area allowance.
Meanwhile, the teacher unions have warned that they could resume strike action if the government fails to fulfil its obligations under strike action if the government fails to fulfil its side of the agreement reached with them. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
