FWSC Denies Threat To Deduct Salaries of Striking Teachers

The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has denied media reports that its Chief Executive, Dr George Smith-Graham, threatened to deduct the salaries of teachers who have embarked on an illegal strike.

In a press release, the Commission said its Chief Executive did not make the comments attributed to him and appealed to the public and the 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 Commission emphasised that its current engagement with the three pre-tertiary teacher unions is focused on dialogue and negotiations aimed at addressing outstanding issues relating to their collective agreement and conditions of service.

As part of efforts to resolve the impasse, the FWSC on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, engaged the leadership of the three pre-tertiary teacher unions in negotiations.

The meeting, chaired by Dr George Smith-Graham, was attended by the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Musah; the President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Jacob Anaba; the President of the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), King Awudu Ali, and other leaders of the three unions.

According to the release signed by the Head of Public Affairs, Emelia Ennin, the engagement provided an opportunity for the FWSC and the union leadership to discuss the outstanding issues and demands raised by the unions.

Speaking after the meeting, Dr Smith-Graham said the engagement would be reconvened at a later date to allow the Commission to undertake further consultations on the demands and engage relevant stakeholders before negotiations resume. He also commended the union leaders for the peaceful manner in which the meeting was conducted.

The FWSC said the engagement formed part of the formal process initiated by government to address the concerns of the teacher unions following their nationwide strike which commenced on Monday, September 28, 2026.

The Commission reiterated its commitment to constructive engagement with the teacher unions towards finding a mutually acceptable and sustainable resolution, and urged the public and media to rely on verified information from the Commission.

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