TEMA, Ghana, 10th October: The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has urged the government to establish a regular engagement mechanism with organised labour to address workers’ concerns before they escalate into industrial action.
He said the government should not wait until labour unions declare a strike before initiating discussions with their leadership, stressing that proactive engagement could help prevent industrial disputes and minimise disruptions to essential services.
According to him, the recent strike by pre-tertiary teacher unions could have been avoided if the government had maintained regular communication with their leadership.
“If government had an earlier engagements with the leadership of the Teacher Unions, the strike wouldn’t have happened. We don’t wait for an issue to come up before engaging the teachers’ leadership,” he said.
His comments follow the suspension of the nationwide strike by the teacher unions after engagements with the Council of State and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission on Friday.
The unions have directed their members to return to the classrooms on Monday, October 12, 2026, paving the way for the resumption of academic activities in first- and second-cycle institutions.
The industrial action, which involved the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Schools Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), had disrupted academic activities as the parties sought to resolve outstanding concerns.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme on Saturday, October 10, Abraham Koomson said the leadership of the teacher unions was sometimes not adequately informed about government decisions and developments affecting their members.
He argued that the communication gap made it difficult for union leaders to explain government’s position to their members and manage their expectations.
Mr Koomson warned that poor communication could undermine the authority of union leaders, particularly when workers demand explanations for unfulfilled promises or delays in improving their conditions of service.
He urged the government to build strong working relationships with the leadership of all sector unions, emphasising that regular engagement should not be mistaken for an attempt to influence organised labour.
Rather, he said, such interactions should enable union leaders to understand the government’s financial and economic circumstances so they can communicate the realities to their members.
Mr Koomson suggested that the government should be candid with organised labour about the economic challenges it inherited from the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, arguing that workers’ representatives needed to understand the constraints facing the current administration.
He maintained that earlier communication between the relevant ministry and the teacher unions could have reduced the pressure that eventually culminated in the strike.
The GFL Secretary-General further urged the government to make regular consultations with organised labour a priority, warning that industrial action could place additional pressure on an economy still recovering from recent difficulties.
He said the government must learn to engage union leaders consistently to help resolve grievances before they develop into disputes that disrupt public services and economic activity.
Abraham Koomson renews call for Deputy Employment Minister
Mr Koomson also reiterated his call on President John Dramani Mahama to appoint a Deputy Minister of Employment to strengthen the ministry’s capacity to engage organised labour and address workers’ concerns.
He explained that the ministry previously operated with two deputy ministers, with responsibilities covering social welfare and labour, respectively, to support the substantive minister in carrying out the ministry’s duties.
Although President Mahama has pledged to operate with a lean government of 60 ministers, Mr Koomson argued that appointing an additional deputy minister for employment would be justified by the importance of labour relations and the need for effective engagement with workers’ representatives.
He further argued that the previous administration of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo operated with more than 100 ministers, yet, in his view, failed to deliver the expected results.
Mr Koomson said he believed President Mahama’s commitment to a lean government should not prevent him from making strategic appointments where they could improve governance and strengthen labour relations.
He maintained that a dedicated deputy minister for employment could help facilitate regular dialogue with organised labour, address workers’ grievances and reduce the likelihood of future industrial disputes.