GNAT President Drops Bombshell on Teachers’ Strike Suspension, Makes Fresh Demand on Government

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is demanding clearly defined procedures for implementing teachers’ conditions of service, warning that negotiated benefits could remain outstanding for years if the processes for accessing them are not properly established.

GNAT President Prosper Tachie said the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) must complete the implementation guidelines for the collective agreement before outstanding negotiations are concluded.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Mr Tachie identified the implementation of negotiated agreements as a longstanding challenge for teachers.

He explained that although the parties often reach consensus on the substantive terms of an agreement, uncertainty surrounding the procedures for accessing the benefits has frequently delayed their delivery.

He said GNAT was determined to prevent a recurrence of the situation, insisting that the relevant authorities must establish clear processes to ensure teachers receive the benefits provided for under the agreement.

Mr Tachie maintained that the Ministry of Education and GES needed to finalise the document detailing the procedures teachers would follow to access the various entitlements.

His comments come after pre-tertiary teacher unions suspended their nationwide strike following engagements involving the Labour Minister and the Council of State, as well as government assurances on some of their outstanding demands.

Under the government’s commitments, promotion-related arrears owed to more than 51,000 teachers are expected to be paid by October 16, 2026.

Payments for the professional development allowance are scheduled for November, while the digital support allowance is expected to be paid in December.

Mr Tachie also disclosed that negotiations involving GNAT, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Ministry of Finance had resulted in revised positions on some allowances.

However, he emphasised that the suspension of the industrial action was temporary and did not signify the end of negotiations over the remaining provisions of the collective agreement.

Further discussions are expected to address the outstanding issues, particularly the procedures required to ensure that the agreed benefits are implemented without prolonged delays.

Teachers are expected to resume classroom duties on Monday, October 12, 2026, following the suspension of the strike.

Source: https://www.myjoyonline.com/gnat-pushes-for-clear-implementation-procedures-of-teachers-conditions-of-service/

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