Article Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Category | Teacher Recruitment & Job Updates |
| Hub | Teacher Careers |
| Cluster | GES Teacher Promotion 2026 |
| Article Type | Breaking Education News |
| Date Published | 25 September 2026 |
| Primary Focus Keyword | teacher unions strike Ghana 2026 |
| Location | Ghana |
| Key Institutions | GNAT, NAGRAT, PRETAG, Ministry of Education, FWSC, CAGD |
| Status | Breaking / Developing |
| Author | Ferdinand Ellis |
| Source Basis | Joint statement of GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG dated 25 September 2026, with current media reports and Ministry response |
Fact Check & Editorial Review
Status: Confirmed
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) have declared a nationwide industrial action effective Friday, 25 September 2026.
The declaration follows the unions’ earlier 22 September deadline, which gave government until midday on Thursday, 24 September to address outstanding concerns.
In their latest joint statement, the unions cite three principal areas of concern:
- delays in negotiating a new Collective Agreement;
- failure to automatically place newly promoted teachers on their appropriate salary scales and pay the associated arrears; and
- non-implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.
The unions say prolonged delays and what they describe as unfulfilled commitments have increased frustration among teachers.
The Ministry of Education has responded by appealing to the unions to call off the strike, saying government is making progress on the issues and that further engagement involving the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) is expected.
Key Takeaways
- GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG have declared a nationwide strike effective Friday, 25 September 2026.
- The action follows the unions’ 24 September deadline to government.
- The unions are demanding progress on a new Collective Agreement.
- They are also demanding automatic salary placement and payment of arrears for teachers who passed the relevant promotion examinations.
- The unions are demanding implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.
- The Ministry of Education has appealed to the unions to call off the strike while government continues engagement with the relevant institutions.
- The dispute follows an earlier August agreement under which promoted teachers were expected to be placed on their appropriate salary scales by September 2026, with a supplementary payroll mechanism for those not captured by the end of September.
In Brief
Ghana’s three major pre-tertiary teacher unions have moved from warning of industrial action to an actual nationwide strike.
GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG say they took the decision after government failed to resolve outstanding concerns by the deadline set in their 22 September notice.
The immediate dispute centres on teacher promotion salary placement and arrears, but the unions have also placed the renewal of their Collective Agreement and implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance at the centre of the industrial action.
➡️ Related: [Teacher Unions Give Government September 24 Deadline Over Promotion Salaries and Arrears]
➡️ Related: [Teacher Promotion 2026: January Effective Date, September Placement and Automatic Placement]
Introduction
The long-running dispute over teacher promotion salaries and conditions of service has escalated into nationwide industrial action.
GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG have declared a strike effective Friday, 25 September 2026, after their deadline for government to address outstanding concerns expired on Thursday.
The development marks a significant escalation from the unions’ 22 September warning, when they said they would no longer be able to restrain teachers if the issues remained unresolved.
The unions have now formally directed industrial action while government maintains that work is ongoing to address the concerns.
Why the Teacher Unions Have Declared the Strike
The unions’ latest statement identifies three major issues.
1. Delayed Collective Agreement
The unions say negotiations for a new Collective Agreement have remained unresolved despite the expiration of the existing agreement.
According to reports on the unions’ statement, they expected the negotiations for a new agreement to have been completed by June 2026.
They say the matter has been raised repeatedly with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, but the process remains outstanding.
The Collective Agreement is important because it provides a framework for key aspects of teachers’ conditions of service.
➡️ Related: [Teacher Conditions of Service in Ghana: What the Collective Agreement Covers]
➡️ Related: [GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG: Understanding Ghana’s Major Teacher Unions]
2. Promotion Salary Placement and Arrears
The second major issue concerns teachers who successfully completed promotion examinations but have not yet been fully placed on their new salary scales.
The unions are demanding automatic placement of affected teachers together with payment of arrears.
The current dispute follows an agreement reached at a meeting between government and the teacher unions on 31 August 2026.
That communiqué stated that the effective date for the substantive appointment of promoted teachers would be January 2026 and that all promoted teachers should be placed on their respective salary scales by September 2026.
It further stated that if some teachers were not placed by the end of September, a supplementary payroll would be raised to ensure that all affected teachers were placed on scale.
The latest strike declaration indicates that the unions consider the implementation of the arrangement incomplete.
➡️ Related: [Teacher Promotion Salaries: Why the August Agreement’s Supplementary Payroll Matters]
➡️ Related: [GES Teacher Promotion 2026: January 2026 Effective Date Explained]
3. Deprived Area Allowance
The unions have also cited the non-implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.
According to reports on the unions’ latest statement, the issue is linked to provisions in the 2024 Collective Agreement concerning a review of the Deprived Area Report, followed by negotiations on the applicable allowance.
The unions say the process has not been completed.
The allowance is particularly relevant to teachers serving in areas classified as deprived, where recruitment, retention and working conditions can present additional challenges.
➡️ Related: [Deprived Area Allowance for Teachers in Ghana: What We Know]
➡️ Related: [Teacher Welfare and Conditions of Service in Ghana]
From September 24 Deadline to September 25 Strike
The latest development follows a sequence of events that began with the unions’ earlier concerns about promotion placement.
On 22 September 2026, GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG issued an urgent notice saying that the 2025 promotion placement and payment of arrears had not been fully effected.
The unions gave government until midday on Thursday, 24 September to address the outstanding matters.
They also cited the renewal of the Collective Agreement and payment of the Deprived Area Allowance.
The notice warned that the unions would no longer be able to restrain teachers if the issues remained unresolved.
The deadline has now passed, and the unions have proceeded with industrial action.
What Was Agreed on Teacher Promotion in August?
The current strike needs to be understood against the background of the 31 August 2026 meeting between government and the teacher unions.
The published communiqué recorded three important resolutions:
| Issue | August 31 Resolution |
|---|---|
| Effective date | January 2026 |
| Salary placement | All promoted teachers to be placed on their respective salary scales by September 2026 |
| Outstanding teachers | Supplementary payroll to be raised if some were not captured by the end of September |
| Application process | Placement to be automatic, with no forms or application letters required |
The communiqué was issued by the Communications Directorate of PRETAG.
The unions’ latest position indicates that they consider the implementation of these commitments insufficient or incomplete.
This is therefore not an entirely new dispute. It is an escalation of an unresolved issue that had already brought the unions and government to the negotiating table in August.
Government’s Response
The Ministry of Education has appealed to GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG to call off the strike.
According to the Ministry’s spokesperson, Hashmin Mohammed, government has made significant progress in addressing the concerns raised by the unions.
He said the Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, had continued engaging relevant stakeholders.
The Ministry also indicated that the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department were expected to engage the unions to work towards a resolution.
The Ministry has also raised concerns about the potential effect of the industrial action on Ghana’s academic calendar, particularly following efforts to restore the school calendar to a September reporting cycle.
The government position therefore differs from that of the unions on the status and pace of implementation.
What Happens to Schools During the Strike?
The immediate practical effect of the declaration is that affected teachers are expected to withdraw their services in accordance with the directives of their unions.
The precise operational consequences for individual schools may depend on subsequent directives from the unions and any developments arising from negotiations with government.
Parents, school authorities and teachers should therefore rely on official communications from the unions, Ghana Education Service and Ministry of Education rather than unverified messages circulating on social media.
EducateGhana.com will continue monitoring official developments.
Why the September 2026 Promotion Dispute Matters
The dispute has implications beyond individual salary payments.
For affected teachers, promotion is linked to professional progression and the corresponding salary grade. Delays in financial implementation mean that a teacher may have completed the promotion process without immediately receiving the financial benefits associated with the new rank.
The unions’ demand for arrears from January 2026 is therefore central to the dispute.
The August communiqué specifically established January 2026 as the effective date for the substantive appointment of promoted teachers.
The latest strike demonstrates that the issue has moved from an administrative implementation matter into a broader industrial-relations dispute involving teacher welfare and conditions of service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which teacher unions are on strike?
The three unions are:
- Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT);
- National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT); and
- Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).
When does the strike begin?
The unions declared the nationwide industrial action effective Friday, 25 September 2026.
Why are the teachers on strike?
The unions cite three principal concerns: the delayed Collective Agreement, incomplete salary placement and arrears for promoted teachers, and the non-implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.
What was agreed on promoted teachers in August?
The 31 August communiqué stated that the effective date would be January 2026, that promoted teachers would be placed on their salary scales by September 2026, and that a supplementary payroll would be raised for teachers not captured by the end of September.
Has government responded?
Yes. The Ministry of Education has appealed to the unions to call off the strike and said government is making progress on the outstanding matters. It expects FWSC and CAGD to engage the unions.
Is the strike indefinite?
The current reports confirm the declaration of industrial action effective 25 September. The duration and any subsequent suspension or modification will depend on further directives and developments between the unions and government.
Conclusion
The declaration by GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG marks a new stage in Ghana’s 2026 teacher promotion and conditions-of-service dispute.
The unions have moved beyond the 24 September deadline and commenced nationwide industrial action over three principal concerns: the delayed Collective Agreement, outstanding promotion salary placement and arrears, and the Deprived Area Allowance.
Government, for its part, says progress is being made and has appealed for the strike to be called off while FWSC, CAGD, the Ministry and the unions continue engagement.
The immediate focus will now be on whether further negotiations can resolve the outstanding matters and what steps the unions and government take in the coming days.
For teachers, the key issues remain clear: salary placement, arrears, conditions of service and the implementation of agreed allowances.
EducateGhana.com will continue to track official statements and verified developments.
About the Author
Ferdinand Ellis is a Ghanaian education blogger, curriculum specialist, researcher, education policy analyst and educator. He is the founder and editor of EducateGhana.com, Ghana’s Education Intelligence Platform, and writes on Ghana’s education policy, teacher careers, curriculum, teacher welfare and developments within the education sector.
Editorial Note
Published: 25 September 2026
Status: Breaking / Developing Story
This report is based on the joint declaration of industrial action by GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG dated 25 September 2026, alongside current reporting and the Ministry of Education’s response.
The unions’ reasons for the strike are presented as their stated position. The Ministry’s response is separately identified to distinguish the two positions.
EducateGhana.com will update this report as further official information becomes available.
Sources
- GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG joint statement dated 25 September 2026, as reported by current Ghanaian media.
- MyJoyOnline, 25 September 2026.
- Adom Online, 25 September 2026.
- Citi Newsroom, 25 September 2026, Ministry of Education response.
- 31 August 2026 communiqué on the meeting between the teacher unions and the Minister for Education.
- Ghana News Agency, 1 September 2026, on the earlier government-union engagement.
