Teacher unions in the Eastern Region insist they will not back down from the ongoing strike until their demands for improved conditions of service are addressed.
At a press conference in Koforidua on October 2, the unions threw their support behind their national leadership and urged them to sustain the strike until their concerns are resolved.
They said they remain firmly behind the decision to embark on the industrial action and will not yield to pressure until their demands are met.
The Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), William Boadu Abedi, flanked by other union leaders, addressed the media.
“We wish to reiterate that until our concerns are addressed and our expectations are met, we the teacher unions in the Eastern Region stand firmly behind our national leadership in initiating the strike action. We urge them neither to waver nor cower under any circumstance until the ultimate objective is achieved.”
He acknowledged the impact of the strike on teaching and learning but said teachers were compelled to take the action because of unresolved concerns over their working conditions and outlined three major areas of concern.
He said negotiations for a new Collective Agreement, which should have been concluded by June 2026, remain unresolved, leaving teachers uncertain about the conditions governing their employment.
“As you may be aware, the negotiation of our new Collective Agreement should have been completed by June 2026, but this has not been done. The existing one has elapsed and we do not know the conditions under which our teachers are currently working. What is the security of their tenure? We do not know! What are the employer’s commitments to them? We cannot tell! Are they working at their own risk? We do not know! Is this the situation we want for our teachers? We cannot tell! So is our strike not justified? Tell us!”
He also accused the employer of failing to automatically place teachers who passed their promotion examinations in December 2025 and February 2026 on their new ranks, resulting in delays in the payment of their corresponding salaries and arrears and denying them the 20 percent Deprived Area Allowance.
“The employer has failed to place teachers who passed their promotion exams in December 2025 and February 2026 on their new ranks automatically, thereby denying them the commensurate salaries and retrospective arrears. Do our teachers have to be held in such abeyance? We cannot tell.
The implementation of the 20% Deprived Area Allowance has also been denied to our teachers. Should our colleagues be treated with such ingratitude for their sacrifices in accepting postings to, and teaching in such underserved and remote areas? Do they also not deserve to enjoy the basic amenities of modern life in contemporary Ghana? Please answer us.”
The Eastern Regional GNAT Secretary said the unions are dissatisfied with what they describe as delays by the employer, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department in addressing the concerns.
“We do not understand the foot-dragging and pussyfooting of the employer, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department. Must we be held hostage for being teachers? Is it a crime to be a teacher? The named bodies should give us the answers.”
The strike has entered its fifth day, with classrooms across the Eastern Region remaining shut.
The teacher unions contend that persistent challenges affecting teachers, including poor conditions of service, are contributing to the poor performance of learners at both the basic and senior high school levels.
By Yvonne Neequaye
