GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG suspend strike

Three teacher unions in Ghana have suspended their industrial strike following negotiations with the Council of State and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) over outstanding concerns affecting their members.

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers’ Association of Ghana (PRETAG) announced the decision on Friday, October 9, 2026, following engagements aimed at resolving the issues that led to the industrial action.

The suspension is expected to allow further negotiations between the unions and the relevant authorities, while teachers return to the classrooms and discussions on their outstanding demands continue.

Speaking after a meeting with the FWSC, GNAT General Secretary Thomas Musah said the decision followed engagements with the Ministry of Employment and the Council of State.

“We want to announce that we have suspended the strike today. We want to call all our members to return to the classrooms,” he said.

The decision offers relief to students, parents and school authorities who have been affected by the strike, which disrupted teaching and learning in public basic and second-cycle schools across the country.

The unions embarked on the industrial action over unresolved concerns relating to promotion-related salary adjustments, outstanding arrears, conditions of service and the implementation of deprived-area allowances.

Delays in the payment of promotion-related arrears have been among the key grievances raised by the unions, particularly concerning teachers who passed promotion examinations but were awaiting placement on the appropriate salary levels.

The unions have also called for the implementation of a 20 per cent deprived-area allowance for teachers working in underserved communities and the conclusion of negotiations on a new collective agreement.

Before the suspension, the unions maintained that concrete action was needed to address the outstanding issues.

At an earlier press conference in the Ashanti Region, GNAT Regional Secretary Daniel Atakora said teachers wanted evidence that the government had fulfilled its commitments.

“We are waiting for bank alerts proof that the government had fulfilled its commitments to teachers,” he said in a report by the Ghana News Agency on October 6.

The FWSC has also expressed its commitment to resolving the dispute through negotiations.

On October 6, the Commission’s Chief Executive, Dr George Smith-Graham, said the negotiations were intended to reach an agreement that would allow teachers to return to work.

“We want to make sure that we are able to conclude with the negotiations so that all of us parents will be happy to get our teachers back to the classroom,” he said.

Further negotiations are therefore expected to focus on resolving the outstanding concerns and reaching an agreement that will improve teachers’ working conditions and prevent similar disruptions in the future.