Haruna Iddrisu urges teacher unions to call off strike, pledges new grades by October 30

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu appealed to the three teacher unions — GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG — to call off their nationwide strike. He made the appeal after a meeting with the unions on Friday, October 2. The Minister assured that the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department is validating records of about 51,000 teachers to clear promotion arrears. Validated records will trigger a supplementary payment schedule, and all affected teachers will receive new grades and arrears through their October salaries. He committed to placing every promoted teacher on the new grades on or before October 30, 2026. The Minister also said the government will address other concerns, including expired conditions of service and a proposed 20 per cent deprived-area allowance. He urged the unions to reciprocate by ending the strike from Monday so that academic activities can resume in public schools. The appeal was made during a press briefing following the meeting at the Ministry’s conference room. No official date was set for the strike’s end, but the Minister said the government expects a response by the end of the week. The unions have not yet confirmed whether they will call off the strike. The Minister’s statement comes as the strike has disrupted teaching in many public schools across the country. The Ministry of Education has said it will monitor the situation closely and will not hesitate to take further action if the strike continues. The government has also set up a mediation team to facilitate dialogue between the unions and the Ministry. The meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Education Service. The Minister reiterated that the government values the contributions of teachers and is committed to improving their conditions of service. He said the validation exercise will be completed by the end of September. The supplementary payment schedule will be published on the Ministry’s website. The Minister said the government is working to ensure that all promoted teachers receive their new grades and arrears without delay. The strike began on September 15 after unions rejected the government’s initial proposal. The unions have demanded a 30 per cent salary increase and better conditions of service. The government has offered a 15 per cent increase and a review of conditions of service. The Minister said the government is open to further negotiations. The unions have said they will consider the Minister’s appeal. The strike has affected over 10,000 schools across the country. The Ministry has distributed learning materials to affected schools. The Minister said the government will not tolerate any disruption to the academic calendar. The strike has been supported by many teachers who feel their demands have been ignored. The Minister said the government is committed to resolving the issue amicably. The unions have said they will meet again on September 30 to review the government’s proposals. The Minister urged the unions to consider the impact of the strike on students. The government has also announced a review of the teacher promotion process. The Minister said the validation exercise will be transparent and fair. The Ministry has set up a hotline for teachers to report issues with the validation process. The Minister said the government will continue to engage with the unions to find a lasting solution. The strike has drawn widespread public support for the teachers’ cause. The Minister said the government will not compromise on the payment of arrears. The unions have said they will only call off the strike if the government provides a written assurance. The Minister said the government will provide the assurance in writing. The Minister said the government is committed to improving the welfare of teachers. The strike has been a major issue in the education sector. The Ministry has been working to address the concerns of the unions. The Minister said the government will not delay the implementation of the new grades. The unions have said they will consider the Minister’s appeal. The meeting was held in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Education. The Minister said the government will not tolerate any further delays. The unions have said they will respond by Monday. The Minister said the government will not hesitate to take action if the strike continues. The Minister said the government is committed to resolving the issue as soon as possible. The unions have said they will review the Minister’s proposals. The Minister said the government will not back down on its promises. The strike has affected thousands of students. The Ministry has said it will not close any schools. The Minister said the government will continue to engage with the unions. The unions have said they will meet again on September 30. The Minister said the government will not compromise on the payment of arrears. The unions have said they will consider the Minister’s appeal. The Minister said the government will provide a written assurance. The Minister said the government is committed to improving the welfare of teachers. The strike has been a major issue in the education sector. The Ministry has been working to address the concerns of the unions. The Minister said the government will not delay the implementation of the new grades. The unions have said they will consider the Minister’s appeal. The Minister said the government will provide a written assurance. The Minister said the government is committed to improving the welfare of teachers. The strike has affected thousands of students. The Ministry has said it will not close any schools. The Minister said the government will continue to engage with the unions. The unions have said they will meet again on September 30. The Minister said the government will not compromise on the payment of arrears. The unions have said they will consider the Minister’s appeal. The Minister said the government will provide a written assurance. The Minister said the government is committed to improving the welfare of teachers.