🚨 TEACHER UNIONS STRIKE CONTINUES AFTER FWSC TALKS END WITHOUT AGREEMENT
THE TEACHER UNIONS STRIKE REMAINS IN FORCE AFTER TUESDAY’S NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE FAIR WAGES AND SALARIES COMMISSION, GHANA EDUCATION SERVICE AND THE TEACHER UNIONS ENDED WITHOUT AN AGREEMENT.
The teacher unions strike continues after renewed negotiations between government and the three major pre-tertiary teacher unions failed to produce an agreement on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
The meeting brought together the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Ghana Education Service (GES), GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG as government continued efforts to resolve the issues that triggered the nationwide industrial action.
According to a fresh report by MyJoyOnline, the negotiations ended without an agreement, with the parties expected to reconvene on Wednesday, October 7.
For teachers who have been following the teacher unions strike, the latest development means one thing: the industrial action has not been called off.
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TEACHER UNIONS STRIKE: TUESDAY’S TALKS END WITHOUT AGREEMENT
The latest negotiations were expected to provide a possible breakthrough after several days of government–union engagements.
However, Tuesday’s meeting did not produce a final agreement.
MyJoyOnline reported that the renewed discussions between FWSC, GES and the teacher unions ended without a deal. The parties are now expected to continue discussions on Wednesday.
Speaking after the meeting, GNAT General Secretary Thomas Musa urged teachers to remain resolute while the unions await concrete timelines from government.
The unions are particularly seeking clarity on when outstanding processes will be completed and when affected teachers will actually receive their payments.
This means the teacher unions strike remains active as negotiations continue.
READ RELATED RESOURCES HERE: TEACHER PROMOTION ARREARS: WHY HARUNA IDDRISU WENT TO CHECK THE WORK HIMSELF
TEACHER UNIONS STRIKE: PROMOTION ARREARS REMAIN A MAJOR ISSUE
One of the central issues discussed during the negotiations is the processing of outstanding data for teachers who have been promoted.
That data is necessary for government to complete the payment process for their promotion-related arrears.
This issue has been at the heart of the teacher unions strike from the beginning.
On October 2, Education Minister Hon. Haruna Iddrisu said the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department was validating data for up to 51,000 teachers as government worked towards payment of outstanding promotion arrears.
He also said government was committed to placing all promoted teachers on their new grades by October 30, 2026.
READ RELATED RESOURCES HERE: TEACHER UNIONS STRIKE CONTINUES AFTER GOVERNMENT TALKS END WITHOUT AGREEMENT
That commitment, however, has not yet been enough to bring the teacher unions strike to an end.
TEACHER UNIONS STRIKE: WHY PAYMENT OF ARREARS IS NOT THE ONLY ISSUE
Earlier on Tuesday, MyJoyOnline reported another important position from PRETAG.
The association said that clearing promotion arrears alone would not be enough to end the strike.
According to PRETAG President King Ali Awudu, other outstanding matters remain unresolved, including the 20% professional allowance and provisions contained in the collective agreement.
This is important because it explains why government’s commitment to promotion arrears has not automatically resulted in the suspension of the teacher unions strike.
The unions are looking at the broader package of concerns.
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TEACHER UNIONS STRIKE: WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE TUESDAY’S MEETING?
The October 6 meeting did not happen in isolation.
On October 2, government and the teacher unions also met to discuss the strike.
That meeting ended inconclusively after government presented fresh proposals for the unions to consider. The unions maintained the industrial action while considering the proposals.
The next step was therefore Tuesday’s engagement through the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
Before the meeting, Education Minister Hon. Haruna Iddrisu said FWSC had been given the mandate to engage the unions and find an amicable resolution to the dispute.
But after Tuesday’s negotiations, there is still no final agreement.
READ RELATED RESOURCES HERE: The Hidden Struggles of Teachers: What People Don’t See
TEACHER UNIONS STRIKE: WHAT ARE THE UNIONS STILL DEMANDING?
The dispute centres on several major concerns.
The first is the placement and payment of promoted teachers, including outstanding promotion-related salary arrears.
The second is the negotiation of a new Collective Agreement and conditions of service.
The third is the implementation of the 20% Deprived Area Allowance for eligible teachers.
Government has indicated that the allowance will be paid after the validation of eligible teachers is completed.
The unions, however, have continued to demand concrete action rather than assurances.
That difference remains one of the major obstacles to ending the teacher unions strike.
READ RELATED RESOURCES HERE: WHY TEACHERS NEED A STRONGER COLLECTIVE VOICE
TEACHER UNIONS STRIKE: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The immediate next step is another round of negotiations.
MyJoyOnline reports that the parties are expected to reconvene on Wednesday, October 7.
The focus will now be on whether government can provide the concrete timelines and commitments the unions are seeking.
For teachers, the most important question is no longer simply whether government and the unions are talking.
They are talking.
The bigger question is whether those discussions can produce an agreement that the unions consider sufficient to suspend the teacher unions strike.
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Get detailed lesson plans and Schemes of Work for Nursery, KG, Primary, JHS and SHS to help you prepare, plan and teach effectively.
TEACHER UNIONS STRIKE: WHAT TEACHERS SHOULD WATCH NOW
Teachers should pay close attention to three developments.
First, the promotion-data validation and payment process.
Government has committed to processing outstanding promotion-related payments and placing promoted teachers on their new grades by October 30.
Second, the negotiations on conditions of service.
The teacher unions are still seeking progress on the Collective Agreement and other outstanding provisions.
Third, the outcome of Wednesday’s engagement.
That meeting could provide another opportunity for both sides to narrow their differences.
READ RELATED RESOURCES HERE: 3 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES EVERY TEACHER SHOULD FOLLOW
TEACHER UNIONS STRIKE: THE STRIKE REMAINS IN FORCE
For now, there has been no announcement suspending the industrial action.
The latest MyJoyOnline report is explicit: the nationwide teacher unions strike remains in force after Tuesday’s negotiations ended without an agreement.
The unions continue to seek concrete timelines for the outstanding processes and payments, while government continues to pursue negotiations aimed at restoring teaching and learning in public pre-tertiary schools.
The next major development is expected from Wednesday’s engagement.
Until then, teachers remain on strike.
And for Smart Teachers Avenue, we will continue following the negotiations and provide timely updates as new developments emerge.
READ RELATED RESOURCES HERE: WHY MANY TEACHERS LOOK POOR — AND HOW WE CAN CHANGE THAT NARRATIVE
SOURCE AND CREDIT: This report is based primarily on the October 6, 2026 report by MyJoyOnline/JoyNews, with additional context from MyJoyOnline reports published on October 2 and October 6, Citi Newsroom, 3News and the October 6 position of PRETAG. Smart Teachers Avenue is independently reporting and contextualising the developments for teachers.
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