Teachers in the Ashanti Region have reaffirmed their commitment to the ongoing nationwide industrial action and warned the government that the strike will continue indefinitely if it fails to provide verifiable evidence of salary payments by October 16, 2026.
The regional leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRE-TAG) issued the warning at a joint press conference in Kumasi yesterday.
The unions said their members, who collectively represent a significant proportion of Ghana’s teaching workforce, would no longer accept verbal assurances, promises or commitments without evidence of actual payment of outstanding salaries and related entitlements.
According to the unions, the industrial action, declared by their national leadership on September 25, 2026, was necessitated by what they described as the government’s failure to address critical concerns affecting teachers.
Among the key issues are delays in promotional salary placements and related arrears, the expiration of the teachers’ collective bargaining agreement and the failure to implement allowances intended for teachers serving in deprived and rural communities.
Addressing the media, the GNAT Regional Secretary, Daniel Kwaku Atakora, said teachers in the Ashanti Region remained resolute and would not return to the classrooms based solely on assurances from government officials.
He stressed that any decision to suspend the industrial action must be backed by tangible evidence that the outstanding financial obligations to affected teachers had been settled.
“We caution that members in the Ashanti Region will not accept further promises or assurances as grounds for calling off the strike,” Mr Atakora said.
He added that any decision to call off the strike must be supported by evidence of payment to the affected teachers.
Three Key Demands
Mr Atakora outlined three major demands at the centre of the industrial action.
The first is the immediate placement of teachers who successfully passed promotion examinations in December 2025 and February 2026.
The unions are also demanding that the affected teachers receive their corresponding salary adjustments and arrears dating back to January 2026.
The second demand relates to the stalled negotiations between the teacher unions and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission for a new Collective Agreement.
The unions want government to provide a clear and credible roadmap for concluding the negotiations and resolving outstanding issues contained in the agreement.
The third demand concerns the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance for teachers working in rural and deprived communities.
The unions argue that the allowance is important in supporting teachers who accept postings to areas where access to basic amenities and other services remains limited.
Call On Mahama
The Ashanti Regional leadership also appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene personally to resolve the impasse and bring the industrial action to an end.
Mr Atakora expressed concern over what he described as a lack of effective coordination among institutions responsible for addressing the teachers’ grievances.
He mentioned the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service (GES), Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department as key institutions whose actions or inactions had contributed to the current situation.
According to him, the unions had expected the relevant government agencies to provide clear accounts of the outstanding issues and implement commitments made to the teachers.
He said the failure to do so had deepened frustration among teachers and made it difficult for the unions to accept further assurances.
Students Affected
The unions acknowledged the impact of the strike on students, parents and the wider education system.
Basic school campuses across the Ashanti Region, like other parts of the country, continue to be affected by the industrial action, with concerns growing over the possible disruption to academic activities if the impasse is not resolved.
Despite the consequences of the strike, however, the unions maintained that their action was necessary to secure what they described as basic labour rights and fair treatment for teachers.
Mr Atakora said teachers remained committed to quality education and rejected suggestions that the industrial action represented an abandonment of their professional responsibilities.
“This action is not an abandonment of duty,” he stressed, adding that the teachers’ demand for fair treatment was inseparable from their commitment to quality education.
‘Remain Resolute’
The GNAT, NAGRAT and PRE-TAG leadership subsequently urged their members across the Ashanti Region to remain resolute and strictly adhere to directives issued by the national leadership of the unions.
They warned that teachers would not be persuaded to return to work until meaningful progress had been made on the outstanding demands.
The unions have consequently set October 16, 2026 as a critical deadline for government to provide verifiable evidence of salary payments to affected teachers.
They warned that failure to meet the deadline could result in the continuation of the industrial action for an indefinite period.
The development places additional pressure on government and the relevant agencies to find a lasting solution to the dispute, particularly as prolonged closure or reduced activity in schools could have serious implications for students, parents and the broader education sector.
The unions maintained that they remained open to dialogue but insisted that any resolution must be supported by concrete action rather than further promises.
For now, teachers in the Ashanti Region have been directed to remain on strike as the unions await tangible evidence of government action on their outstanding demands.
