Three teacher unions in Ghana have suspended their industrial strike following negotiations with the Council of State and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers’ Association of Ghana (PRETAG) announced the suspension after engagements aimed at addressing their outstanding grievances.
The decision is expected to pave the way for further negotiations on the issues that triggered the industrial action, while allowing teachers to return to the classroom.
Speaking after a meeting with the FWSC, GNAT General Secretary Thomas Musah said the unions had decided to suspend the strike following discussions with the Ministry of Employment and the Council of State.
“We want to announce that we have suspended the strike today. We want to call all our members to return to the classrooms,” he stated.
The unions had embarked on the industrial action over concerns relating to promotions, conditions of service and deprived-area allowances.
Among their major grievances were delays in the payment of promotion-related arrears, which the unions have been pressing the relevant authorities to address.
On October 9, the Council of State invited representatives of the unions to a meeting to deliberate on the concerns underlying the strike and explore possible solutions.
The suspension is expected to create room for continued dialogue between the unions and the relevant government agencies to resolve the outstanding issues.
Further negotiations will be crucial in determining how the teachers’ concerns are addressed and in preventing a recurrence of industrial action within the pre-tertiary education sector.
