Savannah College unions suspend strike, set November 3 meeting with GTEC

The leadership of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) and the Colleges of Education Non-Teaching Staff Association of Ghana (CENTSAG) at the Savannah College of Education has suspended its sit-down strike, paving the way for further negotiations over delays in migrating staff.

The industrial action was suspended with effect from November 1, 2026, following interventions by the Savannah Regional Minister and engagements involving other stakeholders.

In a joint statement dated Sunday, November 1, the two unions said the decision was taken after the Regional Minister, acting on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, intervened and assured staff that their outstanding concerns would receive attention.

The intervention also involved the North Gonja District Chief Executive, traditional leaders, the Savannah Regional Director of Education, College Management and the North Gonja District Police Commander.

“After listening to staff concerns, the Honourable Regional Minister assured that the outstanding issues would receive the necessary attention and appealed to the unions to end the industrial action,” the statement said.

The unions added that subsequent discussions with College Management had made some progress towards addressing the concerns, prompting them to suspend the strike to allow consultations to continue.

As part of efforts to resolve the impasse, the leadership of CETAG and CENTSAG has been invited to meet the Director-General and the Director of Budget of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The meeting is expected to establish the next steps and timelines for completing the staff migration process, particularly concerning 15 limited clearances.

“The meeting is expected to clarify the next steps and establish a clear roadmap and timelines for completing the migration process, particularly with regard to the fifteen (15) limited clearances,” the unions stated.

Members have consequently been directed to return to their normal duties from November 1.

Despite the decision to suspend the industrial action, the unions have cautioned that the move should not be interpreted as a resolution of the issues that triggered the strike.

They maintained that the outstanding concerns remain serious and require further engagement with the relevant authorities.

“However, the suspension of the strike should not be misconstrued as a resolution of the underlying concerns. The outstanding issues remain matters of serious concern to the unions,” the statement stressed.

The dispute centres on delays in migrating staff of the Savannah College of Education onto the appropriate public-sector employment arrangements.

The college, located at Daboya in the North Gonja District of the Savannah Region, was absorbed into the public Colleges of Education system in March 2025.

The transition has required administrative processes to align staff appointments and employment arrangements with the public college system.