The Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Dr George Smith-Graham, has said the government does not intend to introduce a new allowance in response to teachers’ demand for a Deprived Area Allowance.
Speaking on Ghana Akoma on Akoma FM on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Dr Smith-Graham explained that the current transitional arrangement governing negotiations does not allow for the introduction of entirely new allowances.
According to him, the FWSC is currently operating under a transitional framework ahead of the establishment of the Independent Public Emoluments Commission (IPEC). Under this arrangement, unions whose conditions of service have expired are expected to focus on improving existing allowances rather than negotiating entirely new ones.
His comments come amid the ongoing nationwide strike by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Education Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).
The unions began the strike on September 25 over several outstanding issues, including delays in negotiating a new Collective Agreement, salary placement and arrears for promoted teachers, and the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.
The issue of the 20 per cent Deprived Area Allowance has become one of the major sticking points in the negotiations.
The Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, had earlier maintained that government remained committed to implementing the allowance and said a committee involving representatives of the teacher unions and the Ghana Statistical Service had been established to validate data and determine which teachers and communities would qualify.
Government had also indicated that it intended to roll out the 20 per cent allowance from January 2027, subject to the completion of the validation exercise and development of a roadmap.
However, Dr Smith-Graham's latest comments point to a disagreement over how the allowance should be treated within the ongoing negotiations.
The FWSC CEO said government had made significant efforts to address the teachers' concerns but acknowledged that it could not meet every demand being presented by the unions.
He further disclosed that both sides had signed documents as part of efforts to resolve the dispute and urged the unions to end the strike while negotiations continue. He said government hoped to resolve the matter by Friday, October 9.
The FWSC has also warned that if the strike remains active beyond October 15, salary deductions could be considered for teachers who remain on strike, depending on the legal status of the industrial action.
The latest development leaves the Deprived Area Allowance at the centre of the dispute, with the teacher unions demanding its implementation while the FWSC maintains that the current transitional arrangement does not provide for the introduction of a new allowance.
