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FWSC Denies Reports Of Salary Deduction For Striking Teachers

The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has denied reports attributing comments to its Chief Executive, Dr George Smith-Graham, that teachers participating in the ongoing strike would have their salaries deducted for every day they remain absent from work. In a press statement signed by Emilia Ennin, Head of Public Affairs, the Commission said the CEO did not make such comments.

“The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission wishes to state that our Chief Executive did not make the comments attributed to him in the said media report,” the statement said. The FWSC therefore appealed to the public and media to disregard the purported comments and any conclusions drawn from them, as they do not represent a statement made by the Chief Executive or a position taken by the Commission in relation to the ongoing teachers’ strike.

The clarification comes amid the ongoing nationwide strike by three pre-tertiary teacher unions – Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) – over outstanding issues relating to their collective agreement and conditions of service. The FWSC said its current engagement with the unions is focused on dialogue and negotiations aimed at addressing those concerns.

The Commission on Tuesday, 6th October, 2026, engaged the leadership of the three unions as part of efforts to resolve the impasse. The meeting was chaired by Dr Smith-Graham and attended by GNAT General Secretary Thomas Musah, NAGRAT President Jacob Anaba, PRETAG President King Awudu Ali and other union leaders. Speaking after the meeting, Dr Smith-Graham said discussions would be reconvened at a later date to allow the Commission to undertake further consultations and engage relevant stakeholders before negotiations resume. He commended the union leaders for the peaceful manner in which the meeting was conducted.

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Earlier reports had claimed Dr Smith-Graham warned that teachers risk forfeiting salaries if the strike is declared illegal, citing provisions under Ghana’s Labour Act that participants in an illegal strike may lose earnings and employers may terminate contracts. The FWSC says that interpretation does not reflect its current stance, stressing dialogue over sanctions. Government says it hopes to resolve the matter before Friday, 10th October, to avoid escalation.

The nationwide strike by the three teacher unions began on 28th September, 2026, following unresolved concerns over promotion arrears, salary placement and allowances. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu held an emergency meeting on the day the strike commenced and directed FWSC to lead negotiations. Teachers have vowed to remain on strike until concrete steps are taken to address their grievances.

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Author: Stella Sunu • Published on Howedey.com

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