The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) says it is prepared to address concerns raised by pre-tertiary teacher unions over their conditions of service, but has asked the unions to wait for the establishment of the proposed Independent Public Emoluments Commission.
The new commission is expected to take responsibility for matters relating to public sector allowances and compensation.
However, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) say they cannot wait indefinitely for a commission whose establishment and legal backing remain uncertain.
The unions have therefore maintained September 7, 2026, as their deadline for industrial action if their concerns are not addressed.
Teachers Demand Allowances
The teacher unions are demanding the implementation of agreed conditions of service, including a 20 percent deprived-area allowance, digital allowance and professional development allowance.
The FWSC says it has already engaged the unions twice over their concerns.
Its Chief Executive, Dr. Smith Graham, explained that the Commission is not undertaking a comprehensive review of conditions of service this year because of the planned transition to the Independent Public Emoluments Commission.
“We have already engaged them twice and this year, because of the transition, we are not doing a holistic review of any conditions of service. What we are doing is to identify some allowances and deal with them. Since we are transitioning into the Independent Public Emoluments Commission, they should wait,” he said.
NAGRAT Rejects Call to Wait
NAGRAT President, Jacob Anaba, rejected the call for teachers to wait for the proposed commission, insisting that already-agreed conditions of service must be implemented now.
“We need to have our conditions of service implemented now. We have two payments that have to be done: our deprived-area allowance, digital allowance and professional development allowance. So, we cannot wait for the commission to be set up,” he said.
GNAT Warns of Industrial Action
General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Tanko Musah, also expressed concern over the continued delay in addressing the unions’ demands.
He said government must act before the September 7 deadline to prevent industrial action.
“The deadline has been given, and it is in the interest of government that we get this matter resolved as soon as possible,” he said.
Mr Musah argued that the existence of an agreement between the government and the unions should not be affected by the proposed establishment of the new commission.
“Nobody should deceive himself or herself that the agreement we have signed together means we cannot wait for an Independent Public Emoluments Commission to be set up,” he added.
The teacher unions insist they will proceed with industrial action on September 7 if concrete steps are not taken to address their concerns.
The development puts renewed pressure on the government and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to reach an agreement with the unions before the deadline.
