The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has warned that teachers could face salary deductions if their ongoing industrial action is deemed illegal and continues beyond the government’s expected deadline for resolving the impasse.
Speaking on Akoma FM’s morning show, GhanAkoma, on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Chief Executive Officer of the FWSC, Dr George Smith-Graham, said workers who engage in an illegal strike could forfeit their remuneration for the period they remain away from work.
“If you go on an illegal strike, once it is illegal, every day you stay home, your salary will be deducted. That is what is supposed to be done, just that here in Ghana we are a bit flexible,” Dr Smith-Graham said.
His comments come as the nationwide strike by pre-tertiary teacher unions, which began on September 25, 2026, remains unresolved. The unions have maintained their industrial action over outstanding promotion arrears, salary placement and other conditions of service.
Dr Smith-Graham explained that the government was hopeful of reaching an agreement with the unions before Friday, October 9, to prevent the dispute from escalating and avoid possible consequences.
He further indicated that if the strike remained active by October 15, government could be compelled to take steps regarding salaries for the period teachers stayed away from work.
“We hope to resolve the matter before Friday to avoid all these issues and possible outcome,” he said.
Under Ghana’s Labour Act, a worker who participates in an illegal strike may forfeit remuneration for the period of the illegal strike, while an employer may also terminate the worker’s services without notice for breach of contract.
The teacher unions, however, have insisted that they will remain on strike until concrete action is taken to address their concerns, rather than relying on assurances from government. Negotiations between the unions and the FWSC continued on Tuesday, October 6, but ended without a final agreement.
Dr Smith-Graham said government remained hopeful that the ongoing discussions would produce a resolution before the situation reaches the point where further action becomes necessary.
Government to respond if teachers’ strike continues beyond Friday – FWSC
By Emmanuel Owusu
