Teachers could lose pay for the period they remain on strike if their industrial action is ruled illegal and continues beyond the government’s expected deadline for a settlement, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has warned.
FWSC Chief Executive Officer Dr. George Smith-Graham said on GhanAkoma that workers taking part in an illegal strike could forfeit their remuneration for every day they stayed away from work.
“If you go on an illegal strike, once it is illegal, every day you stay home, your salary will be deducted. That is what is supposed to be done, just that here in Ghana we are a bit flexible,” Dr. Smith-Graham said.
His warning comes as the nationwide strike by pre-tertiary teacher unions enters its second week. The action began on September 25, 2026, and remains unresolved.
The unions are demanding action over outstanding promotion arrears, salary placement and other conditions of service. They have continued the strike despite assurances that the government is seeking a resolution.
Dr. Smith-Graham said the government hoped to reach an agreement with the unions before Friday, October 9, in an effort to prevent the dispute from escalating and avoid the possible consequences of prolonged industrial action.
He added that if the strike was still continuing by October 15, the government could be forced to take measures relating to teachers’ salaries for the period they had remained away from work.
“We hope to resolve the matter before Friday to avoid all these issues and possible outcomes,” he said.
Ghana’s Labour Act provides that a worker who participates in an illegal strike may forfeit remuneration for the duration of the action. It also allows an employer to terminate the worker’s services without notice for breach of contract.
The teacher unions, however, have said they will not call off the strike on the basis of government assurances alone. They want concrete action to address their demands before returning to work.
Negotiations between the unions and the FWSC continued on Tuesday, October 6, but ended without a final agreement.
Dr. Smith-Graham said the government remained hopeful that the discussions would result in a settlement before the dispute reached the stage where further action became necessary.
