The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called on the government to urgently engage the three major teacher unions and resolve outstanding concerns that have triggered an indefinite industrial action.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) began nationwide industrial action on Friday, September 25, 2026, citing unresolved issues over teachers’ conditions of service, promotion placement and the Deprived Area Allowance.
In a statement signed by the Member of Parliament for Suhum and Deputy Ranking Member of the Committee on Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions, Hon. Frank Asiedu Bekoe, the Minority said the concerns raised by the teacher unions were not new demands but issues relating to agreed conditions of service.
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The Caucus identified three major grievances: delays in negotiating a new Collective Agreement, failure to automatically place teachers who successfully passed promotion aptitude tests on their new grades, and non-implementation of the 20 per cent Deprived Area Allowance.
The unions have similarly cited the stalled Collective Agreement, promotion placements and deprived-area allowance as the basis for the industrial action.
According to the Hon. Asiedu Beko, the government, through the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD), must take immediate steps to implement the outstanding arrangements.
He also linked the dispute to concerns over educational outcomes, arguing that teacher welfare and motivation could have implications for learning.
“In proper context, we cannot divorce this looming strike from the massive and historic failure recorded in the 2026 BECE. It reveals that when you frustrate the teacher, you fail the child,” he said.
The Hon. Asiedu Beko called on the government to immediately engage GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG and conclude negotiations on a new Collective Agreement.
He demanded that CAGD place all promoted teachers on their appropriate grades and pay their outstanding arrears from January 2026.
He also called for the immediate implementation of the 20 per cent Deprived Area Allowance for teachers working in hard-to-reach communities.
According to him, resolving the concerns is critical to restoring stability in the education sector and ensuring that teachers can focus on their responsibilities in the classroom.
“Government must prioritise the classroom over distractions. If we lose our teachers, we lose our nation,” Mr Asiedu Bekoe said.