The Volta Regional leadership of three teacher unions has declared full support for the ongoing nationwide industrial action, demanding urgent action on stalled collective agreement negotiations, promotion arrears and deprived-area allowances.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) said their members in the region would remain on strike until their concerns are addressed.
The industrial action, which took effect on Friday, September 25, 2026, follows what the unions described as prolonged delays, unfulfilled commitments and the failure of relevant authorities to resolve outstanding issues affecting teachers’ conditions of service.
Addressing a press conference in the Volta Region, the unions outlined three key demands: the conclusion of negotiations on a new collective agreement, automatic placement and payment of arrears for promoted teachers, and implementation of the 20 per cent Deprived Area Allowance.
Speaking on behalf of the unions, Volta Regional Secretary of GNAT, Felix Owusu Ansah, said the existing collective agreement had expired, while negotiations for a new one, expected to have been concluded by June 2026, remained outstanding despite several engagements with the government and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
“We therefore call on government to immediately conclude the implementation of the new agreement to provide certainty and improve the conditions of service of teachers,” he said.
Unions Demand Promotion Arrears
On promotions, the unions said teachers who successfully passed promotion examinations conducted in December 2025 and February 2026 were expected to be automatically placed on the appropriate salary scales, with corresponding arrears effective January 2026.
They said delays in implementing the arrangement had caused frustration and financial difficulties for affected teachers.
The unions therefore demanded the immediate processing of all outstanding promotion placements and payment of the associated arrears.
Volta Regional Chairman of PRETAG, Solomon Kwame Yerenkyi, expressed concern about what he described as prolonged delays in addressing promotion-related issues.
“Those who wrote their exam in 2025 were supposed to write the exam in 2024,” he said, arguing that the delays had resulted in affected teachers losing substantial salary benefits.
He said teachers remained committed to educating Ghanaian children but expected their legitimate concerns over welfare and remuneration to be addressed.
20% Deprived Area Allowance
The unions also renewed demands for the implementation of the 20 per cent Deprived Area Allowance for teachers serving in deprived and hard-to-reach communities.
According to them, Section 17(2) of the existing Collective Agreement provides for the allowance, and teachers who accept postings to difficult communities should receive the incentives due them.
“We demand the implementation of the 20 per cent Deprived Area Allowance for teachers serving in deprived and hard-to-reach communities,” the unions said.
They called for immediate implementation of the allowance and a clear, time-bound roadmap for its payment.
‘We Are Not Going Back to the Classroom’
Volta Regional Chairman of NAGRAT, William Kwame Ahiave, said teachers had reached a point where withdrawing their services was necessary to press home their demands.
“We are putting down our tools. Until government heeds our pleas, we are not going back to the classroom,” he said.
The regional leadership subsequently directed all teachers in the Volta Region to comply fully with the nationwide strike until further communication from the national leadership.
The industrial action has affected teaching and learning in some public pre-tertiary schools as efforts continue to resolve the dispute.
