The striking teacher unions in Ghana will return to negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) on Tuesday, October 6, after their nationwide strike began on September 25. The talks will focus on the expired conditions of service that triggered the industrial action.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu confirmed the development on Friday, October 2, following a government meeting with the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG). The FWSC chief executive has officially invited the unions back to the negotiating table.
Mr Iddrisu said the discussions would address the unions’ expired collective agreement, a demand that formed part of the strike’s cause. “The second issue that was tabled for purpose of discussion and negotiation has to do with a manifesto pledge of the NDC government,” he told reporters after the meeting.
The strike started nearly two weeks earlier over several unresolved issues, including promotion arrears and a 20 per cent deprived-area allowance. The unions say these long-standing concerns have not been adequately addressed by the government.
The Education Minister expressed optimism that the negotiations would conclude quickly. “It is our expectation that negotiations will not exceed a week. It should not. And negotiations have already been carried on within the same spirit as was done for other unions in the country,” he said.
Alongside Mr Iddrisu, the Finance and Labour Ministers also met the unions on Friday, aiming to end the impasse. The government’s engagement with the teacher groups is part of a broader effort to restore normal academic activity in public schools.
The strike has disrupted classrooms across Ghana, affecting the education of thousands of students. The unions have maintained their position, demanding the government meet their conditions before suspending industrial action.
The FWSC’s involvement signals a formal attempt to resolve the expired conditions of service, which include salary structures and benefit adjustments tied to government policy. The October 6 meeting is set to revisit these terms in detail.
Mr Iddrisu’s remarks suggest the government is prepared to negotiate within a framework established for other public service unions, though no specific concessions or timelines beyond the one-week negotiation window have been disclosed.
The unions’ call for the government to honour its manifesto pledge adds political pressure to the discussions. The strike highlights ongoing tensions between Ghana’s public sector workers and officials over wage policies and labour rights.
The next week will determine whether the FWSC and the teacher unions can reach an agreement to end the strike and allow schools to reopen fully.
According to Joy Online.
