The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Ghana has announced an indefinite nationwide strike beginning Friday, September 19, 2025, accusing government and employer institutions of neglecting long-standing concerns of non-teaching staff despite repeated negotiations.
In a statement signed by General Secretary King James Azortibah, the union said it had exhausted all lawful avenues under the Labour Act, including serving formal notice on September 8, but received no meaningful response.
TEWU placed responsibility for the breakdown in industrial peace squarely on the government and agencies such as the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
The strike is expected to disrupt operations across public and technical universities, the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ghana Library Authority, and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board. Administrative, security, library and support services in schools, universities and cultural institutions nationwide are likely to be heavily affected.
TEWU’s demands include the immediate signing of conditions of service for its members in public and technical universities, GES, the Library Authority and the Museums and Monuments Board.
It is also calling for the inclusion of GES non-teaching staff in the Continuous Professional Development Allowance scheduled for September 2025, the swift resolution of outstanding promotion grievances within the GES, and a firm commitment from the FWSC to finalise and sign all pending agreements without further delays.
“We have exercised patience and restraint… The responsibility for the disruption of industrial peace in the education sector rests squarely with the government and its agencies,” the union stated, while warning against any intimidation or obstruction of its strike action, which it described as an unfair labour practice.
Copies of the strike declaration have been submitted to the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, GES, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, and the National Labour Commission.
Friday’s action follows earlier threats in November 2024 and a separate strike at KNUST in April 2025 over union representation, underscoring deepening tensions in the sector.
TEWU urged the government and employers to respect workers’ rights and engage in urgent dialogue to prevent prolonged disruption.
