More than 300,000 teachers are expected to withdraw their services from Monday, August 31, 2026, following prolonged delays in placing promoted teachers on the appropriate salary scale.
The teacher unions— (GNAT), (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers’ Association of Ghana—say more than 100,000 teachers who successfully passed promotion examinations in 2025 have remained on their old salary scales for more than a year.
The unions made their position known at a press briefing in Accra on August 27, where they accused the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department of failing to resolve the matter.
According to the unions, their engagements with the relevant authorities revealed that the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department is requesting additional documentation from the affected teachers before they can be placed on the new salary scale.
GNAT General Secretary, Thomas Tanko Musah, expressed frustration over the delay and warned that the government would be responsible for any disruption resulting from the planned action.
“We think that we have been treated unfairly, unkindly, and it looks like when you talk, people don’t listen and think that they can do what they please. We are saying that whatever happens after Monday, government has itself to blame.”
The unions are demanding that the effective date for the salary placement be backdated to December 2025, rather than July 2026.
President of the Pre-Tertiary Teachers’ Association of Ghana, King Ali Awudu, said the unions would not back down unless the affected teachers were placed on the payroll by August 31.
“To us as teachers of the labour unions, we are not accepting July 2026 for the approval to be made. We are asking that the substantive date be moved to December 2025. By hook or crook, the successful applicants who have been promoted must be put on the payroll on or before August 31, or there will be war.”
President of NAGRAT, Jacob Anaba, also criticised the prolonged delay, saying the affected teachers had suffered financial losses for more than a year.
“In fact, they have suffered for more than one year without being promoted, and they always talk about numbers of teachers. Do we want development in this country? What we are saying is that they should place the teachers on the salary scale by August 31.”»
The unions insist that the planned withdrawal of services will go ahead if the affected teachers are not placed on the appropriate salary scale by the deadline.
They are therefore calling on the government and the relevant agencies to intervene immediately to avert disruptions to teaching and learning across the country.
By Daniel Opoku
