The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has urged the government to authorise the Controller and Accountant-General's Department to pay appropriate salaries to newly promoted teachers. GNAT General Secretary Thomas Tanko Musah confirmed this demand, highlighting a critical issue affecting a significant portion of Ghana's teaching workforce.
This call follows unfulfilled assurances made during negotiations that promoted teachers would receive salary adjustments automatically. These adjustments were promised without requiring additional documentation. Mr. Musah, speaking on TV3's Hot Issues on Sunday, October 4, stated that these assurances have not been implemented. The failure to act has left many teachers without their due remuneration, causing widespread frustration.
This situation fits into a broader pattern of industrial relations challenges within Ghana's public sector. Delays in salary adjustments and non-implementation of agreed conditions often lead to labour unrest. The government, as the primary employer, faces pressure to honour commitments to its workforce, especially in essential services like education. Such disputes can disrupt public services and strain the national budget if arrears accumulate.
Mr. Musah emphasised that teachers are government employees, not staff of the Controller and Accountant-General's Department. He argued that the government has a clear responsibility to ensure funds are released once payment is authorised. “If somebody has worked and the person is going to Controller to go and take his salary and the person who is supposed to pay my salary is telling me that he will not give it to me, then my employer is under obligation and he owes me the duty of care to order that person, authorize and instruct him that look the money I gave you to give to my employees, give it to them,” Tanko Musah stated. He added that the unions' dispute is with the government, not the Controller, over the implementation of agreed payments.
The current impasse has significant implications for Ghana's education sector and public finances. Pre-tertiary teacher unions, including GNAT, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT-GH), declared a nationwide strike from Friday, September 25, 2026. Their concerns extend beyond promoted teachers' salaries to include delays in processing salary arrears and adjustments for other affected teachers. They also cite the non-implementation of the 20% Deprived Area Allowance and expired conditions of service or collective agreements. This strike impacts millions of students and places pressure on the government to find a swift resolution.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu and Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson have urged the unions to end their industrial action. They have committed to resolving promotion allowances and scheduling further negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC). However, the unions remain firm, instructing members to continue the strike until new salaries and arrears are paid. This standoff could lead to prolonged school closures, affecting academic calendars and student learning outcomes. The government must balance fiscal constraints with the need to maintain industrial harmony and ensure quality education. The resolution of this dispute will be a key indicator of the government's ability to manage public sector labour relations effectively.