GNAT ‘stops’ April 30 strike due to education directors promotions
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has suspended its decision to embark on a nationwide strike action on April 30, 2025, amid concerns for the government to address issues affecting teachers in the country.
The pre-tertiary teacher union’s decision to suspend its planned nationwide industrial action comes after President John Dramani Mahama directed the Ministry of Education to address concerns relating to teacher promotions.
Speaking at the launch of the free sanitary pad for Junior and Senior High School girls initiative, the Minister of Education, Harun Iddrisu, said President Mahama has directed the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to promote all eligible education directors.
“President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education to give all those deputy directors a legitimate promotion,” the Minister for Education and Tamale South lawmaker stated.
Reacting to the President’s directive, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) General Secretary, Thomas Tanko Musah, has commended all stakeholders involved in resolving the promotion issues.
“We believe that what his Excellency has done, subsequent promotions, I will not be surprised if we see more teachers now taking more positions. They can now rise to the position of deputy directors.
We have more professionals, we have more people well informed rising to that position, and I think His Excellency the President, we are grateful to him for what he has done,” the leading member of the GNAT teacher union stated.
Following this development, the leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) says its planned nationwide strike action slated for April 30 has been officially suspended.
“Given the engagement we had with the Public Services Commission earlier on and today with the Ghana Education Service, and given all the information that we have gathered, we have all agreed that by the close of May, we should work around and get the issues resolved,” he said.
Relatedly, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has expressed appreciation for the creation of a special committee tasked with overseeing the promotion of teachers and deputy directors of education.
In an interview with Accra-based Citi News on Friday, April 25, GNAT General Secretary Thomas Musah welcomed the central government’s intervention, describing it as timely and encouraging.
“On this particular issue, we went on strike last year around March. We lasted for about two weeks, the matter went to the Labour Commission, and finally, we had a settlement.
The previous government promised us that they would get it done by September. Around that September, it wasn’t done and all that. But with this announcement by His Excellency, the teachers can now rise not only to the level of Director Two but Director One.
That will even make it easier for people to write to become the Director-General. That is why we are grateful to His Excellency the President, John Mahama, for this announcement. This will open opportunities for teachers who are dedicated and hardworking to also rise,” he said.
