The long-running concerns over the payment of promotion-related salaries and arrears for teachers in Ghana have entered a new phase following the expiration of a deadline given to the government by the major teacher unions.
The development follows concerns raised by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) over the incomplete implementation of the 2025 teacher promotion placement and payment of related arrears.
In an urgent notice dated Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the teacher unions stated that the 2025 promotion placement, together with the payment of arrears, had not been fully effected. They said this was contrary to an agreement reached with the government to automatically place all affected teachers by the end of September 2026.
Teacher Unions Set September 24 Deadline
The three teacher unions gave the government until midday on Thursday, September 24, 2026, to address the outstanding issues.
According to the unions, failure to resolve the concerns by the deadline would mean that they could no longer restrain teachers from taking further action.
The unions also called on teachers to remain calm and follow official directives from their leadership while participating in any actions subsequently announced by their respective union leadership.
The issues raised by the unions go beyond promotion arrears. They include the renewal of the Collective Agreement and payment of the Deprived Area Allowance, among other concerns affecting teachers.
What Is the Promotion Arrears Issue About?
The concern mainly affects teachers who successfully completed the promotion process but were awaiting the corresponding placement on their new grades and salary scales.
The unions have maintained that the promotion exercise should result not only in recognition of the new rank but also in the appropriate financial implementation.
In an earlier engagement between the government and teacher unions, assurances were given that teachers who had successfully completed the promotion examinations would be placed in their appropriate grades and ranks by the end of September 2026.
The Ghana News Agency reported on September 1 that the Ministry of Education had assured the unions that affected teachers would be placed by the end of September. It also reported that an agreement had been reached for promotion arrears to be calculated from January 2026 rather than July 2026 for teachers who sat for the December 2025 and February 2026 aptitude tests.
September 24 Deadline Expires
The September 24 deadline has now passed.
A report by Citi Newsroom on Friday, September 25, 2026, stated that the teacher unions were meeting on the same day following the expiration of the deadline. According to the report, the Education Minister had pledged to settle salary upgrades and promotion placements for nearly 80,000 teachers during September.
The Communications Officer of PRETAG, Kingsley Anyimadu, said the leadership of the three teacher unions would meet to determine the next course of action after the unions had not received a response from the government.
Indefinite Strike Declaration in the Ashanti Region
Separately, a statement circulating on September 25, 2026, from the Concerned Teachers of the Ashanti Region declared an indefinite strike with immediate effect.
The statement linked the action to the expiration of the September 24 deadline and cited four major outstanding concerns: the 2025 promotion placements, payment of promotion arrears, renewal of the Collective Agreement, and payment of the Deprived Area Allowance.
The statement called on teachers in the Ashanti Region to withdraw their services from public basic and second-cycle institutions and to follow directives from their regional coordinating team.
However, the Ashanti Regional declaration should be distinguished from the national position reported by Citi Newsroom on September 25, which said the national leadership of GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG was meeting to determine the next course of action.
The Main Issues Raised by the Teacher Unions
The current dispute centres on several issues affecting teachers.
1. 2025 Promotion Placement
The unions say the placement of teachers who successfully completed the 2025 promotion process has not been fully implemented.
Affected teachers are concerned about being placed on their appropriate grades and salary scales following their promotion.
2. Payment of Promotion Arrears
The payment of salary arrears connected to the promotion placement remains another major concern.
The Ghana News Agency previously reported that discussions between the unions and government resulted in an understanding that promotion arrears would be calculated from January 2026 for teachers who took the December 2025 and February 2026 promotion aptitude tests.
3. Renewal of the Collective Agreement
The teacher unions have also raised concerns about the renewal of their Collective Agreement.
The issue forms part of the broader conditions of service concerns currently being raised by teacher representatives.
4. Deprived Area Allowance
The payment of the Deprived Area Allowance is another issue identified by the unions.
Teachers serving in deprived or underserved areas have continued to raise concerns about the implementation and payment of the allowance.
The letter was signed by representatives of the three teacher unions.
They were:
- Thomas T. Musah – General Secretary, GNAT
- Jacob Anaba – President, NAGRAT
- King Ali Awudu – President, PRETAG
The notice called on teachers to remain calm and follow official directives from their leadership.
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