The Coalition of Unpaid Teachers has issued a final ultimatum to the government, threatening massive street demonstrations and legal action if outstanding salary arrears are not paid before the January 2026 payroll is finalized.
The group says more than 6,000 teachers across Ghana who have worked for between 12 and 15 months have received payment for only about two months of service. The Coalition maintains the teachers are being pushed into “abject poverty” due to administrative delays and the failure of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to issue necessary staff identification cards.
Lead Convenor of the Coalition, Simon Kofi Nartey, speaking to Citi FM on Sunday, January 4, highlighted the immense psychological and financial toll the delay is taking on educators. “We are calling on our employer and the government at large to listen to us and have our arrears paid so that we can all have our peace of mind to continue with the good work that we are doing for the country,” he said.
A primary hurdle in the payment process is the non-issuance of staff identification cards. Without these IDs, teachers are unable to be fully integrated into the mechanised payroll system, leaving them in a state of professional limbo. Nartey warned that the window for peaceful resolution is closing fast, demanding all outstanding IDs be processed before January 2026 salaries are paid.
“The few that are left to be issued with their staff IDs should have it before this month’s salary comes, before we hit the street once again,” he stated.
Beyond street protests, the Coalition is now consulting with legal experts to file a suit against the state. Nartey described the situation as “unfair and discriminatory,” noting that teachers who began work at the same time have been treated differently. “Some of us started work with colleagues who have received their salaries in full, while others are still going through this ordeal. It is just unfair, and it calls for legal action to be taken against the government,” he emphasized.
The current crisis follows several protests held throughout 2025, which led to the payment of two months’ salary. During those protests, Cabinet under President John Mahama’s administration gave approval for the absorption of over 6,000 unpaid teachers into the system. The teachers, recruited in 2022 and 2023, have been demanding payment of their salary arrears and issuance of staff IDs.
In October 2025, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu announced that Cabinet had given approval for 6,200 teachers to be absorbed, with the process to begin in due course along with payment of back pay. The approval formed part of a broader government decision to spend about GH¢1.1 billion to absorb a category of health workers and teachers across the country.
However, the warning to government comes as President John Mahama delivered his New Year address outlining ambitious plans for 2026, including commitments to quality education and digitalization of schools. For the affected teachers, those assurances offer little comfort as they continue to face severe financial distress.
The Coalition emphasized that until their concerns are fully addressed, members will continue pursuing all lawful means to demand payment of outstanding arrears and regularization of their employment status.