The Central Regional leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Education Teachers’ Association of Ghana (PRETAG) has backed the continuation of the nationwide industrial action by the three teacher unions.

The regional leadership said the strike would remain in force until meaningful progress was made towards resolving the outstanding concerns raised by the unions.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, October 2, 2026, the three unions said their decision followed the failure of a meeting with the Ministry of Education on September 28 to produce firm commitments and clear timelines.

“We wish to state clearly that the Central Regional leadership fully supports the decision of the National Leadership of GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG for the industrial action to continue until meaningful progress is made towards resolving the outstanding concerns raised by the Unions,” the statement said.

The three teacher unions began the nationwide industrial action on Friday, September 25, 2026, over what they described as critical outstanding issues affecting teachers and the teaching profession.

The regional leadership said discussions with the Ministry of Education on September 28 ended without an agreement because the Ministry was unable to provide firm commitments and clear timelines for addressing the concerns.

Outstanding issues

The unions listed the delay in negotiating a new Collective Agreement as one of the key issues.

They said negotiations, which were expected to have been completed by June 2026, remain outstanding.

They also cited the failure to implement the automatic placement of two cohorts of teachers who sat for aptitude tests in December 2025 and February 2026.

Another concern is the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.

According to the unions, the Ministry of Education has not completed the review of the Deprived Area Report or negotiated the applicable figures with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, as provided for under the relevant provisions of the 2024 Collective Agreement.

Unions appeal to Mahama

The Central Regional leadership has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene in the outstanding matters between the teacher unions and government institutions.

“We believe that a timely intervention by His Excellency the President can help facilitate meaningful engagement among the parties and contribute to resolving the issues in the interest of teachers, learners and the wider education sector,” the unions said.

Call for change in promotion processing

The unions have also appealed to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) to reconsider its requirement for individual teachers to submit hard copies of their promotion letters and input forms before their promotions can be effected on the payroll.

The unions acknowledged the need for payroll validation and accountability but said the process should not place unnecessary administrative burdens on individual teachers where the required records can be provided through the Ghana Education Service (GES).

They called on CAGD and GES to adopt an arrangement under which GES submits a master list of duly promoted teachers to CAGD for payroll processing.

“This approach would facilitate the timely placement of eligible teachers on their appropriate salary scales and the payment of their corresponding financial benefits,” the unions said.

They also called on CAGD to engage the teacher unions on the matter and consider an arrangement that maintains verification controls while avoiding delays for individual teachers.

Teachers urged to remain united

The Central Regional leadership said it would continue to support the national leadership’s directive on the industrial action.

“We therefore call on all members of GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG in the Central Region to remain calm, united, disciplined and committed to the directives of the National Leadership,” the statement said.

Members have been urged to continue complying with the unions’ directives until official communication is issued on the suspension or termination of the industrial action.

The unions also appealed to the government, Ministry of Education, GES, CAGD and other stakeholders to intensify engagements towards resolving the outstanding issues.

They said they remained committed to constructive dialogue and a peaceful resolution.

“Our objective is not to disrupt education unnecessarily, but to seek meaningful resolution of legitimate outstanding matters affecting teachers and the education sector,” the regional leadership said.

It also appealed to parents, guardians, students and the general public for their understanding as engagements continue.

The statement was signed by Ajono Martin Adonis, Regional Secretary of GNAT, Central Region; Salamatu Gausu, Regional Chairperson of NAGRAT, Central Region; and Eric Kow Appiah Asante, Regional Chairman of PRETAG, Central Region.