TEMA, Ghana, 8th October: The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has cautioned that although it is easy for workers to declare a strike, calling it off can be a much more difficult task.
According to him, strikes are powerful tools workers use to compel employers to address their grievances, but resolving the initial concerns does not necessarily guarantee an immediate end to industrial action, as other grievances may emerge.
His comments come amid the nationwide strike by pre-tertiary teachers, which remained in force after renewed negotiations between the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the teacher unions ended without an agreement.
One of the key issues under discussion is the processing of outstanding data for promoted teachers, which is necessary to facilitate the payment of their promotion arrears.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Adekyee Mu Nsem on Thursday, October 8, 2026, Mr Koomson described a strike as a powerful weapon in the hands of organised labour, explaining that while declaring one may be relatively easy, bringing it to an end often requires considerable effort.
He explained that industrial action usually stems from existing grievances and that even when employers agree to address the concerns that triggered a strike, workers may identify additional issues requiring attention.
According to him, some workers could raise fresh grievances even after management has made concessions, further complicating efforts to reach a settlement and call off the strike.
Mr Koomson also criticised the government for what he considered inadequate communication with teachers over the delay in fulfilling its commitments.
He argued that the government should have engaged the affected teachers earlier and informed them about the possibility of delays, rather than allowing the situation to escalate into industrial action.
He further attributed some of the challenges confronting the current administration to the state of the economy inherited from the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, arguing that this context should have been communicated to teachers to help manage their expectations.
The ongoing strike has disrupted pre-tertiary education, with the failure of negotiations highlighting the need for further engagement between the government and teacher unions to resolve the outstanding issues and restore normal academic activities.