Teachers across Ghana have refused to end their nationwide strike following a meeting with Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu in Accra, insisting that verbal assurances are not enough to address their grievances.
The striking teachers, represented by the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), have been demanding payment of promotion arrears and progress in stalled negotiations over their conditions of service. Despite the government’s call for patience, union leaders remain unconvinced.
During the meeting, Minister Iddrisu and his deputy, Clement Apaak, assured the unions of President John Mahama’s commitment to improving teachers’ welfare. They announced that the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission would meet with the unions the following Tuesday to continue talks on their collective agreement and conditions of service. A validation committee, chaired by the Minister of Employment and Labour, has also been established to verify data on the promised 20 percent rural deprived allowance, scheduled for rollout in January 2027.
“We have relayed to them to call off the strike while negotiations continue,” Minister Iddrisu said, emphasizing the government’s intent to implement the rural allowance pending validation and a clear roadmap.
However, GNAT President Prosper Tachie, Esq. expressed skepticism after the talks. “What is on paper to show that they will start paying the deprived area allowance by 2027?” he questioned, highlighting the absence of documented commitments. He also lamented the lack of progress in negotiations, noting that expired collective agreements and unpaid allowances remained unresolved, with no clear timeline for settlement.
Tachie stated that the unions would only consider ending the strike once a concrete, documented agreement is reached. “If we accept [the timeline], so be it… but it is not just by word of mouth. It is something that we have to see, something concrete.”
As negotiations are set to continue next week, the teachers’ unions stand firm in their demand for tangible action before they return to the classroom.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com