Isaac Baah, Head of Salaries, Grievances and Negotiations at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), has explained why the association accepted an invitation from the Council of State to discuss concerns affecting teachers amid the industrial dispute in the pre-tertiary education sector.
Speaking on *Ahotor FM’s Morning Show on Monday, October 12, 2026, in Accra-Tema*, Baah stressed that GNAT could not ignore an invitation from such an important state institution, particularly when the meeting offered an opportunity to discuss matters affecting its members.
“The Council of State called us for a meeting. How do we then turn down such an invitation?” he questioned.
His remarks come amid an industrial dispute involving GNAT, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), which have raised concerns about outstanding issues relating to teachers’ salaries, allowances, promotion and conditions of service.
Outstanding promotion and salary concerns
The teachers’ strike was driven by several unresolved grievances, including delays in the placement of promoted teachers on their appropriate salary scales and the payment of arrears arising from their promotions.
For affected teachers, delays in salary adjustments can mean that they continue to receive salaries that do not reflect their new ranks, even after completing the required promotion processes.
The unions have also raised concerns about the pace of negotiations on a new Collective Agreement, which is expected to address conditions of service and other employment-related matters.
Another issue of concern is the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance, intended to support teachers working in deprived communities. Such allowances are important in discussions about teacher welfare and the challenges associated with working in underserved areas.
These issues have placed pressure on the unions to seek concrete commitments from government and the relevant institutions responsible for addressing their grievances.
Council of State engagement
Baah’s comments suggest that GNAT considered the invitation from the Council of State an opportunity that could not simply be rejected.
The Council of State is a constitutional advisory body, and its engagement with the teacher unions provided a platform for discussing the concerns that had contributed to the industrial action.
For GNAT, participation in such discussions was an opportunity to present the concerns of teachers and seek assistance in moving the resolution process forward.
However, accepting an invitation to meet does not, in itself, mean that all the issues raised by the unions have been resolved. The effectiveness of the engagement depends on the extent to which the concerns discussed are addressed by the responsible authorities.
Focus shifts to implementation
The dispute has brought renewed attention to the relationship between government and organised labour, particularly the need for timely negotiations and effective communication when disagreements arise over workers’ conditions of service.
For teachers, the immediate concerns include receiving outstanding promotion-related payments, ensuring that salary placements reflect their ranks, and securing progress on allowances and negotiations over a new Collective Agreement.
Baah’s submission underscores the importance of dialogue as part of the process of resolving industrial disputes. At the same time, teachers will be looking for tangible results from engagements between their unions and the relevant state institutions.
The outstanding matters will therefore require continued engagement between GNAT, the other teacher unions, government and the institutions responsible for salary administration and employment conditions.
Story by Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah / Ahotoronline / Accra