The Minority Caucus in Parliament has welcomed the suspension of the nationwide teachers’ strike by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), while urging the government to honour its commitments to the unions.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, the Minority commended teachers for returning to the classroom despite their outstanding grievances, saying they had prioritised the education of Ghanaian children.
“Their return is an act of patriotism and good faith,” the statement said.
The caucus also commended the union leadership, parents and the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations, and acknowledged the roles of the Council of State and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission in facilitating discussions.
The Minority argued that the strike could have been prevented if the government had implemented previously agreed conditions of service, including the placement of promoted teachers on their new salary grades, payment of the 20 per cent Deprived Area Allowance and negotiations towards a new collective agreement.
It said that although the government and the unions agreed on a process for placing promoted teachers on their new grades on August 31, only 6,079 of the 58,620 promoted teachers had their documents received by the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department as of September 22.
According to the statement, the government missed the unions’ September 24 deadline, leading to the withdrawal of teachers’ services on September 25.
The Minority said the resulting disruption affected pupils across the country, particularly candidates preparing for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), as well as children in deprived communities.
The caucus said the government had made commitments to address the outstanding issues within specific timelines.
It cited October 16, 2026, as the deadline for promotion arrears for the first batch of 51,000 teachers, and October 31 for the placement and arrears of the remaining promoted teachers.
It also listed November 2026 for payment of the Digital Instruction Support Allowance, December for the Continuous Professional Development Allowance, and January 2027 for the rollout of the Deprived Area Allowance.
The conclusion of a new collective agreement remains subject to a timeline to be agreed with the unions.
“The unions have made clear that the strike will resume if any of these dates is missed,” the statement said, urging the government to meet the commitments in full and on time.
The caucus has called for the prompt placement of all promoted teachers on their correct salary grades and payment of arrears dating from January 1, 2026.
It also wants the government to reconcile the union’s figure of more than 80,000 promoted teachers with the official figure of 58,620 and publish a verified list to ensure that no eligible teacher is excluded.
Other demands include digitising the promotion-to-payroll process, briefing Parliament’s Education Committee on progress, agreeing on a firm timeline for a new collective agreement, and developing a learning recovery plan for BECE and WASSCE candidates and pupils in deprived communities.
The Minority said it would monitor the government’s performance against each deadline and report to the public.
“The 2024 Collective Agreement already provides the framework to resolve these matters. What is needed now is implementation, not more promises,” the statement said.
The suspension of the strike follows engagements between the government and the unions over delayed promotions, allowances and negotiations on a new collective agreement. The next key deadline identified by the Minority is October 16, when the first batch of 51,000 teachers is expected to receive their promotion arrears.
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