FWSC distances itself from salary deduction claims against striking teachers

The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has distanced itself from reports that its Chief Executive Officer, Dr George Smith-Graham, directed that teachers on strike should lose a day’s salary for every day they remain off duty.

The Commission said the remarks attributed to its CEO were not made by him and should not be interpreted as the official position of the FWSC on the ongoing industrial action.

The clarification follows reports suggesting that workers who participate in an illegal strike would have their salaries deducted for each day they stay away from work.

According to the FWSC, the reports have generated public interest and could create a wrong impression about the Commission’s role in the dispute involving the three pre-tertiary teacher unions.

“The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission wishes to state that our Chief Executive did not make the comments attributed to him in the said media report,” the Commission said.

It urged the public and media to disregard the purported comments and any conclusions drawn from them.

“The FWSC therefore respectfully appeals to the public and the media to disregard the purported comments and any conclusions drawn from them, as they do not represent a statement made by the Chief Executive or a position taken by the Commission in relation to the ongoing teachers’ strike,” the statement added.

The Commission said its attention is currently focused on negotiations with the three unions over outstanding matters concerning their collective agreement and conditions of service.

“The Commission further wishes to emphasise that its current engagement with the three pre-tertiary teacher unions is focused on dialogue and negotiations aimed at addressing outstanding issues relating to their collective agreement and conditions of service,” the statement said.

As part of the process, the FWSC on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, met 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).

The meeting, chaired by Dr Smith-Graham, was attended by GNAT General Secretary Thomas Musah, NAGRAT President Jacob Anaba, PRETAG President King Awudu Ali and other union leaders.

The Commission said the discussions provided an opportunity for both sides to address the outstanding issues and demands presented by the unions.

Speaking after the meeting, Dr Smith-Graham indicated that the discussions would continue after further consultations.

He said the engagement “would be reconvened at a later date to allow the Commission to undertake further consultations on the demands presented by the unions and engage the relevant stakeholders before negotiations resume.”

He also commended the union leaders for the peaceful manner in which the meeting was conducted.

GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG commenced a nationwide strike on Monday, September 28, 2026, over outstanding concerns relating to their collective agreement and conditions of service.

The FWSC said its involvement followed an emergency meeting convened by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu with the leadership of the three unions on September 28, following the commencement of the strike.

The Minister subsequently indicated that the FWSC would spearhead the next phase of formal negotiations on behalf of government.

The Commission said its involvement forms part of efforts to resolve the dispute and reiterated its commitment to dialogue.

“The FWSC wishes to reiterate its commitment to constructive engagement with the teacher unions and other relevant stakeholders towards finding a mutually acceptable and sustainable resolution to the outstanding issues,” it said.

It added that it “believes that continued dialogue and good-faith negotiations remain critical to resolving the issues.”

The FWSC also urged the public, media and stakeholders to rely on verified information from the Commission and other appropriate authorities regarding developments in the dispute.