Strike: Education Minister Sets October Deadline for Promoted Teachers' Salary Arrears
- Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu outlined a government roadmap to resolve the teachers' strike that has disrupted classrooms since September 25
- The minister set an October 5 deadline for the Ghana Education Service to submit data on up to 29,000 promoted teachers awaiting salary upgrades
- The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission was scheduled to meet striking teacher unions on Tuesday, September 29, to continue Collective Agreement negotiations
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Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has presented a structured government roadmap aimed at ending the nationwide teachers' strike, appealing to the three major unions to suspend their industrial action while negotiations continue.
Source: Facebook
Speaking after a meeting with union representatives, Iddrisu said the government had engaged in "very open and frank negotiations" and was committed to addressing the core grievances that pushed teachers out of classrooms on September 25, 2026.
Key deadlines the government has committed to
The roadmap covers three areas central to the dispute. On the Collective Agreement, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission is set to sit with the teacher unions on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, to resume talks on conditions of service following the expiration of the previous agreement.
Regarding the 20% Deprived Area Allowance, a validation committee chaired by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations has been constituted to verify the data needed before implementation can begin.
Mr Iddrisu assured unions they would be represented in that process and said the government remained committed to rolling out the allowance from January 2027, contingent on completing the validation.
"Be assured that the government of President Mahama remains committed to rolling out the rural deprived 20% allowance effective January 2027, subject to the validation of the data and the fine roadmap, in which the teacher union will be adequately represented," he said.
On salary arrears for promoted teachers, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service has been directed to submit outstanding data to the Controller and Accountant-General's Department by 4 pm on Monday, October 5, 2026.
Regional directors and input officers are to be brought to Accra over the weekend to speed up data compilation, with the Employment and Labour Relations Minister overseeing the process.
Data covering up to 29,000 promoted teachers had already been received, Mr Iddrisu confirmed.
However, because the September payroll had already been processed, the updated salary grades would only take effect from October, with any supplementary payments to follow.
Teachers demand concrete proof
The three unions at the centre of the strike, the Ghana National Association of Teachers, the National Association of Graduate Teachers, and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana, had earlier rejected a government call to return to work.
After Monday's meeting, GNAT maintained that teachers would stay at home until arrears were visibly reflected on payslips and credited to their bank accounts.
The unions have also insisted on written commitments regarding the Deprived Area Allowance, rather than verbal assurances alone.
With the FWSC talks scheduled and the GES data deadline approaching, the government's proposed timelines face an immediate test against the unions' demand for tangible evidence before any suspension of the strike.
Source: UGC
Teacher strike: UCC halts registration of freshers
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the University of Cape Coast (UCC) had allegedly suspended fresh student registration for the 2026/2027 first semester, leaving hundreds of newly admitted students uncertain about when the process will resume.
A post shared on the Voice of UCC WhatsApp channel on September 27, 2026, announced the suspension, citing an ongoing industrial action by the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) as the reason for the halt.
Students were directed to await further communication from the Directorate of Academic Affairs.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
