The Ghana Education Service (GES) has warned teachers that abandoning their duty posts to petition at its headquarters or grant media interviews during official school hours will attract sanctions.

Management of the Service says it has observed a growing pattern where some teachers, particularly newly recruited staff, leave their schools to gather at the headquarters, form splinter groups, or engage the media about their concerns during working hours.

“Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has observed a growing trend in which some teachers, particularly newly recruited staff, frequently besiege the Headquarters, form unrecognized splinter groups, or engage the media regarding their concerns,” the statement said.

GES cautioned that teachers who leave their duty posts during official school hours to participate in such activities will be treated under the disciplinary provisions of its Code of Conduct.

“Any teacher who leaves their duty post and is found at the Headquarters or elsewhere during official school hours, or who is captured on video or audio granting media interviews or participating in related activities during such hours, shall be treated under ‘Absence from Duty’ as stipulated in the Code of Conduct. The appropriate disciplinary procedures outlined in the Code will be fully applied.”

The Service emphasised that staff concerns must be addressed through the established administrative channels rather than through confrontational approaches directed at the headquarters or the media.

It noted that teachers are expected to first present their concerns to their Heads of School before escalating them through the District and Regional Directorates when necessary.

GES also assured staff that their welfare remains a priority and reaffirmed its commitment to addressing legitimate concerns through structured engagement and due process.

The Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, has stated that the salary delays affecting thousands of nurses, teachers, and junior doctors are due to lapses under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, October 8, Dr. Pelpuo blamed the NPP’s poor recruitment practices and fiscal indiscipline for the current plight of nurses and doctors.

“The situation is currently unfair, but it is a culmination of events that took place in the last regime before the current regime took over. People were engaged to work without due process. For you to work and be paid, you need clearance to show that there is money in the account and that your employment has been approved. That didn’t happen in this respect,” he said.

Ghana, in recent times, has witnessed several protests from government employees, specifically, teachers, nurses, and doctors. According to him, the former government handed over a poorly planned budget that didn’t make room to pay nurses, teachers, and doctors.

As such, he called the protesting groups to call for calm as the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration will work to rectify the situation.

“We are taking it up very seriously, and I can assure the nurses, teachers, and junior doctors who are caught up in the process that we are going to respond to them before the end of the year,” he stated.

On Tuesday, September 30, Newly Posted Teachers group, comprising of graduates from Colleges of Education and universities submitted their petition to the Finance Ministry, which calls on the government to clear debts owed them.

The group initially declared their intention to hit the streets over salaries owed them on Tuesday, September 23. However, speaking to Citi News, the group’s Lead Convener, Simon Kofi Nartey, noted that the Ministry of Education and other relevant authorities are yet to respond to their earlier petitions, thus rescheduling the protest to September 30.

Simon Kofi Nartey called on the government to settle their 12 months and 8 months, respectively, within the given ultimatum. According to him, the group will have no option but to hit the streets if the government does not treat their demands with urgency.

“It is rather unfortunate that, as we speak, nothing has been done about the concerns we raised at our press conference. We have no option but to take to the streets to let Ghanaians know what is happening. We have already met with the Greater Accra Regional Police Command and agreed on September 30 for the demonstration,” he said.

Also on October 3, the Junior Doctors’ Association of Ghana (JDA-GH) declared its intention to withdrawn nationwide over unpaid salaries and alleged untreatment from the government.

However, the group made U-turn over its nationwide strike, which was expected to commence on Tuesday, October 6. The decision to suspend the withdrawal of services follows constructive discussions with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and other key stakeholders.

This was contained in a press statement issued by the Association’s leadership on Monday, October 6.According to the statement, “After careful consideration and following assurances from the Ministry of Health and relevant stakeholders, the Association has decided to suspend its planned industrial action to allow for the full implementation of the agreed resolutions”.

The group lamented that over 200 junior doctors have been left unpaid for 10 to 14 months. According to the Association, some medical officers have been suspended without explanation, even though they were previously on the government payroll.

It also emphasized that more than 800 medical officers are yet to be assigned to hospitals despite numerous engagements with authorities on the matter.

“Despite goodwill shown towards the government, no solutions have been offered. The continued exploitation of junior doctors will no longer be tolerated,” the statement read.

On Thursday, October 2, the Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives staged a protest to register similar sentiments. Over 7,000 nurses and midwives who gathered at the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health lamented over working without salaries for nine to ten months.

Convenor of the coalition, Stephen Kwadwo Takyiah, described the situation as unfair and unsustainable. Adding, “We are not comfortable hitting the streets, but it has become necessary. We are citizens, trained as professional nurses and midwives from nursing training colleges and universities.

“We graduated in 2020, completed our rotations, and waited at home for three years. In July 2024, the Ministry of Health announced it had secured financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance for our employment.

“The portals were opened, we registered, and by October 2024, we received postings and reported to work in December. Out of the 15,000 announced, about 13,000 took up postings.

“But in April 2025, only some of our colleagues started receiving salaries. As we speak, just over 6,500 have been paid, while nearly 7,000 of us have worked for close to 10 months without pay”.

In response, the Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, urged the group to exercise patience, as the government has taken steps to address their displeasure.

Addressing the aggrieved group on Thursday, October 2, the Minister disclosed that the government will include funds to settle their unpaid salaries in next year’s budget.