GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG have given the Government of Ghana until midday on Thursday, 24 September 2026, to address outstanding concerns over the placement of promoted teachers on their new salary scales, payment of promotion arrears and other unresolved conditions of service.
The three major pre-tertiary teacher unions have issued an Urgent Notice to All Teachers, dated Tuesday, 22 September 2026, stating that the 2025 promotion placement and payment of related arrears have not been fully effected.
The unions say the situation amounts to a failure to fulfil the agreement reached with government to automatically place all affected teachers by the close of September 2026.
The latest notice has introduced renewed uncertainty into the ongoing teacher promotion salary-placement process, which has been closely followed by teachers across the country.
Article Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Category | Teacher Recruitment & Job Updates |
| Hub | Teacher Careers |
| Cluster | GES Teacher Promotion 2026 |
| Article Type | Breaking Education News / Developing Story |
| Date Published | 22 September 2026 |
| Primary Focus Keyword | teacher promotion salaries and arrears 2026 |
| Location | Ghana |
| Key Institutions | GNAT, NAGRAT, PRETAG, GES, Ministry of Education, CAGD |
| Status | Breaking / Developing |
| Author | Ferdinand Ellis |
| Source Basis | Joint Teacher Unions Urgent Notice dated 22 September 2026 |
Fact Check & Editorial Review
Status: Official Joint Teacher Unions Notice
The document reviewed by EducateGhana.com is headed “URGENT NOTICE TO ALL TEACHERS” and is jointly signed by:
- Thomas T. Musah, General Secretary, GNAT
- Jacob Anaba, President, NAGRAT
- King Ali Awudu, President, PRETAG
It is dated Tuesday, 22nd September 2026.
The unions state that the 2025 promotion placement and payment of arrears have not been fully effected and that this is contrary to the agreement reached with government to automatically place all affected teachers by the close of September 2026.
The notice also identifies the renewal of the Collective Agreement and payment of the Deprived Area Allowance as outstanding concerns.
These statements represent the official position of the three teacher unions as expressed in their joint notice. They should not be presented as an independent finding that government has breached the agreement without also identifying the unions as the source of that assertion.
The immediate deadline stated in the notice is midday on Thursday, 24 September 2026.
➡️ Related: Some Promoted Teachers Have Been Put on Salary Scale, Ellis Ferdinand Reports
➡️ Related: Government Agrees January 2026 Effective Date for Promoted Teachers
Key Takeaways
- GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG have issued an urgent notice to teachers.
- The unions say the 2025 promotion placement and payment of arrears have not been fully effected.
- They say this contradicts the agreement to automatically place affected teachers by the end of September.
- The unions have raised the renewal of the Collective Agreement as another outstanding issue.
- They are also demanding action on the Deprived Area Allowance.
- Government has been given until midday on Thursday, 24 September 2026 to address the issues.
- The unions say they may no longer be able to restrain teachers if the matters remain unresolved.
- Teachers have been instructed to remain calm and follow official directives from their leadership.
- The notice calls on teachers to participate in any actions announced by their union leadership.
In Brief
The teacher promotion salary dispute has entered a new phase after GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG issued a joint notice giving government until midday on 24 September 2026 to address outstanding concerns.
The unions say the 2025 promotion placement and associated arrears have not been fully implemented despite an earlier agreement that all affected teachers would be automatically placed by the close of September.
The unions have also listed the renewal of the Collective Agreement and payment of the Deprived Area Allowance among outstanding issues.
They have warned that if the issues are not addressed by the deadline, they will no longer be able to restrain teachers from taking action.
Teacher Unions Say Promotion Placement Has Not Been Fully Implemented
The main issue raised in the notice concerns the implementation of the 2025 teacher promotion exercise.
According to the three unions, the placement of affected teachers on their new salary scales and the payment of associated arrears have not been fully completed.
The unions state that this is contrary to the agreement reached with government to automatically place all affected teachers by the end of September 2026.
The latest position comes at a critical stage of the implementation timeline because September is the month previously identified for completing the salary-scale placement exercise.
For teachers who successfully passed the promotion process, the outstanding issue is not merely the recognition of the new rank. It also concerns the corresponding financial implementation and payment of salary differences arising from the promotion.
➡️ Related: GES Teacher Promotion 2026: What Teachers Should Know About Salary Placement
➡️ Related: Teacher Promotion Arrears 2026: January Effective Date Explained
September 24 Deadline Set by the Unions
The joint notice gives government until midday on Thursday, 24 September 2026 to address the outstanding matters.
The unions state:
“If by mid-day, Thursday, 24th September, 2026, all the issues are not addressed, the Teacher Unions will not be able to restrain the teachers anymore and whatever happens, the duty bearers should take full responsibility.”
The notice then adds:
“This is not a threat but a promise.”
The wording signals a significant escalation in the unions’ position.
However, the notice does not announce a specific strike date.
Instead, it states that the unions may no longer be able to restrain teachers and calls on teachers to participate in actions that will be announced by their leadership.
This distinction is important. The document establishes a deadline and warns of possible action, but it does not itself state that a nationwide strike begins on 24 September.
Renewal of Collective Agreement Listed as Outstanding
The teacher unions have also identified the renewal of the Collective Agreement as one of the outstanding matters.
The Collective Agreement is an important framework for the employment conditions and welfare of teachers.
Its renewal has featured among concerns raised by the teacher unions during their engagements with government.
The inclusion of the matter in the latest urgent notice indicates that the unions consider its resolution necessary alongside the promotion salary issue.
Deprived Area Allowance Also Raised
The second specific issue listed by the unions is the payment of the Deprived Area Allowance.
The notice identifies the allowance together with the renewal of the Collective Agreement as part of the broader concerns confronting teachers.
The unions did not provide detailed figures in the notice concerning the number of teachers currently receiving the allowance, the number expected to benefit or the exact payment schedule.
The immediate demand is that the outstanding issues be addressed before the deadline specified in the notice.
➡️ Related: Deprived Area Allowance for Teachers: What We Know So Far
➡️ Related: Teacher Welfare and Conditions of Service in Ghana
The Earlier Government-Union Agreement
The latest development must be understood against the background of the agreement reached between government and the teacher unions on 31 August 2026.
Following discussions between the government and teacher unions, government committed to the placement of teachers who had successfully completed the promotion process.
The agreed arrangement included automatic placement of affected teachers on their appropriate salary scales.
The effective date for the promotion-related salary adjustment was set at January 2026, while September was identified as the period within which the placement exercise would be completed.
The latest joint notice from the unions now says the implementation has not been fully effected.
This creates the central issue currently confronting the parties: whether the outstanding cases and arrears can be resolved within the remaining September implementation period.
What the Latest Notice Means for Teachers
The latest notice does not instruct teachers to immediately withdraw their services.
Instead, the unions specifically call on teachers to:
- Remain calm and follow official directives from leadership.
- Participate in all actions announced by their leadership.
This means teachers are being asked to await further official communication from their union leaders.
Teachers should therefore distinguish between the current ultimatum and an actual instruction to commence industrial action.
What Teachers Should Check
Teachers affected by the 2025 promotion exercise should continue to monitor their individual payroll records.
1. Check your payslip
Teachers should check whether their:
- new rank has been reflected;
- salary scale has changed;
- basic salary has been adjusted; and
- applicable arrears or adjustments have been processed.
2. Keep your promotion documents
Teachers should retain copies of their promotion letters and other relevant employment records.
These documents may be required if an individual payroll discrepancy has to be resolved.
3. Follow official union communication
Teachers should rely on official communication from GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG regarding any subsequent action.
4. Avoid acting on rumours
Teachers should not rely solely on WhatsApp messages, social-media posts or unofficial voice notes when determining whether industrial action has commenced.
The joint notice specifically directs teachers to follow official directives from their leadership.
What Happens at Midday on September 24?
The immediate question is whether the outstanding matters will be addressed before the deadline.
If the unions receive satisfactory responses or evidence of implementation, the situation could develop differently from the warning contained in the notice.
If the issues remain unresolved, the unions have indicated that they may no longer be able to restrain teachers from taking action.
The notice, however, leaves the precise nature and timing of any subsequent action to be announced by union leadership.
EducateGhana.com will therefore monitor official communications from the unions and government as the deadline approaches.
Why the Promotion Salary Issue Matters
The promotion exercise has financial implications for teachers who have successfully moved to higher ranks.
A promotion is not fully reflected in a teacher’s financial position until the appropriate payroll changes are implemented.
Where the effective date precedes the actual payroll placement, salary differences may also arise.
The January 2026 effective date agreed during the earlier government-union engagement is therefore particularly important to affected teachers.
The current disagreement is focused on whether the implementation has progressed sufficiently to meet the commitments previously made.
A Developing Dispute
The latest notice represents a significant escalation in the ongoing engagement between the teacher unions and government.
The three unions are speaking jointly and have set a specific deadline.
At the same time, the notice calls for calm and directs teachers to follow official instructions.
For now, the immediate focus is on the period between 22 September and midday on 24 September 2026.
The outcome of engagements during this period will determine the next stage of the dispute.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are teachers going on strike on 24 September?
The notice does not announce a specific strike date. It gives government until midday on 24 September to address the issues and says the unions may no longer be able to restrain teachers if the matters remain unresolved.
What are the teacher unions demanding?
The notice identifies three major concerns:
- Full implementation of the 2025 promotion placement and payment of arrears.
- Renewal of the Collective Agreement.
- Payment of the Deprived Area Allowance.
Who signed the notice?
The notice was signed by:
- Thomas T. Musah, General Secretary, GNAT
- Jacob Anaba, President, NAGRAT
- King Ali Awudu, President, PRETAG
What is the deadline?
The deadline is midday on Thursday, 24 September 2026.
What should teachers do now?
Teachers have been directed to remain calm, follow official directives from their leadership and participate in actions announced by their union leadership.
Has the government responded to the latest ultimatum?
The joint notice itself does not contain a government response. Any subsequent official response from government should be reported separately and attributed to the relevant authority.
Does the notice mean the promotion exercise has completely failed?
No. The unions say that the placement and payment of arrears have not been fully effected. This indicates that the issue concerns incomplete implementation rather than necessarily the absence of all progress.
Conclusion
The 2026 teacher promotion salary dispute has entered a new and potentially decisive stage after GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG issued an urgent notice giving government until midday on Thursday, 24 September 2026, to address outstanding concerns.
The unions say the 2025 promotion placement and payment of arrears have not been fully implemented in accordance with the agreement reached with government.
They have also raised the renewal of the Collective Agreement and payment of the Deprived Area Allowance.
The unions have called on teachers to remain calm and follow official directives, while warning that they may no longer be able to restrain teachers if the outstanding issues are not addressed by the deadline.
For now, the focus shifts to the engagements between the teacher unions and government ahead of 24 September 2026.
EducateGhana.com will continue to track the situation and publish verified developments from the teacher unions, the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service and other relevant authorities.
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: 22 September 2026
Status: Breaking / Developing Story
This article is based primarily on the joint “Urgent Notice to All Teachers” issued by GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG and dated Tuesday, 22 September 2026.
The statements concerning incomplete promotion placement, arrears, the Collective Agreement and Deprived Area Allowance are presented as the position of the three teacher unions as stated in their notice.
EducateGhana.com will update this story when government or the relevant education authorities issue a formal response.
