Labour Minister Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum says the two-week strike by public pre-tertiary teachers could be resolved by the end of Friday, October 9, 2026, after what he described as a “very positive” emergency meeting with leaders of GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG in Accra.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Minister said: “I strongly believe that by the close of the day we should be able to have a solution to this industrial action.”
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) began an indefinite strike on September 25, 2026, after a September 24 deadline for government to address their concerns passed without resolution.
The strike has disrupted teaching and learning in public pre-tertiary schools across the country.
Labour Minister rules out measures to force teachers back to class
Mr Agyekum said Friday’s talks covered the three main issues behind the strike: the teachers’ Collective Agreement, promotion-related payments and the deprived area allowance.
Asked whether government would take other steps to compel teachers to return to the classroom if talks failed, he dismissed the idea, saying the progress made so far gave him confidence the dispute could be settled through dialogue.
The meeting was held at 10:00 a.m. at the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, following an invitation signed by Chief Director Hamidu Adakurugu on behalf of the Minister.
Teachers’ Strike Could End Today, Says Labour Minister After Emergency Talks With GNAT, NAGRAT, PRETAG [VIDEO]
Council of State also meets teacher unions over strike
In a separate engagement, the Council of State invited teacher union leaders, including PRETAG’s national leadership, to a meeting at 1:00 p.m. on Friday at the Council’s Secretariat in Accra.
The invitation was issued on behalf of the Chairman of the Council’s Economic and Social Development Committee, HRM Drolor Bosso Adamtey I, to allow members to be briefed on the unions’ concerns.
The outcome of the Council of State meeting had not been made public at the time of writing.
Teachers’ strike demands: promotions, allowance and collective agreement
The three unions say they will not return to the classroom until government acts on these grievances:
- Promotion arrears: Placing promoted teachers on their correct salary levels and paying related arrears.
- Deprived area allowance: Implementation of a 20% allowance for teachers in deprived areas, a pledge the unions say has not been implemented.
- Collective Agreement: Conclusion of negotiations on a new agreement to replace the expired conditions of service.
Earlier, NAGRAT’s Head of Salaries, Isaac Baah, said teachers would stay home until the new salaries and arrears showed up in their accounts. “Until we see that, we are not going back to school,” he said on September 28.
Teacher promotions: where payments stand
The Controller and Accountant-General, Kwasi Agyei, says his department had processed promotion records for 52,000 teachers as of 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, and had received the required input forms from the Ghana Education Service (GES). GhanaTrends earlier reported that the CAGD is targeting payment of the promotion arrears in mid-October.
The processing follows a September 28 directive from Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu asking the GES Director-General to submit data on promoted teachers.
At a meeting on October 2, Mr Iddrisu said government would pay the new grades for all promoted teachers on or before October 30, 2026.
Previous talks ended without agreement
Friday’s meetings follow several rounds of talks that failed to end the strike:
- September 28: Unions met Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu; no concrete agreement was reached.
- October 2: A government team including the Finance, Education and Labour Ministers tabled new proposals; unions said the strike remained in force.
- October 6: Talks with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) on the collective agreement were described as “inconclusive” by NAGRAT President Jacob Anaba.
- October 9: Emergency meeting with the Labour Ministry, described by the Minister as “very positive,” and a separate Council of State engagement.
What the teachers’ strike means for pupils and parents
With public pre-tertiary teachers away from the classroom for two weeks, many pupils have lost valuable teaching time in the new academic year.
Union leaders have previously urged parents to keep children at home until the strike is called off. Parents should therefore wait for an official statement from GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG before assuming classes will resume.
Any delay in ending the strike could put further pressure on the academic calendar, which government has restored to a September start. More details are available from the Ministry of Education.
What happens next
The Labour Minister expects “something” positive to be announced before the end of Friday. However, any decision to call off the strike will have to come from the leadership of the three unions, who have previously said they would consult their members before responding to government proposals.
Negotiations on the new Collective Agreement are expected to continue with the FWSC, while CAGD works to complete payments for promoted teachers.
Key details at a glance
- Strike by GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG began on September 25, 2026.
- Labour Minister Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum met the unions on October 9 and expects a solution “by the close of the day.”
- The Council of State also met teacher union leaders at 1:00 p.m. on October 9.
- Main demands: promotion arrears, 20% deprived area allowance and a new Collective Agreement.
- CAGD has processed promotion records for 52,000 teachers.
- Government has committed to paying new grades for promoted teachers by October 30, 2026.
FAQs
Has the teachers’ strike in Ghana been called off?
Not yet. As of Friday afternoon, October 9, 2026, the unions had not announced an end to the strike, but the Labour Minister said he expects a solution by the end of the day.
Why are GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG on strike?
The unions are demanding payment of promotion arrears, implementation of a 20% deprived area allowance and a new Collective Agreement to replace their expired conditions of service.
When will promoted teachers be paid?
The Education Minister has said government will pay the new grades for promoted teachers on or before October 30, 2026, and CAGD has processed records for 52,000 teachers.
The teachers’ strike, now two weeks old, may be nearing an end after the Labour Minister described Friday’s emergency talks as positive and predicted a solution by close of day. Until GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG officially call off the action, however, the strike remains in force for public pre-tertiary schools.
