Ghana teachers threaten protests over year-long unpaid salaries

Teachers are done waiting for paychecks. A group of over a thousand unpaid educators in Ghana just threatened massive protests and lawsuits. Their salaries are over a year late, and some are missing twelve to fifteen months. The Ghana Coalition of Unpaid Teachers also wants their official ID numbers and corrected start dates.

They held protests last year, including one at the Finance Ministry. Teachers say this financial chaos has wrecked their lives. Many are deep in debt and cannot afford basic rent or medical care. Their lead organizer gave a news interview explaining the situation.

He said talking to government ministries has gotten them nowhere. The educators have engaged with the Education Minister and the Accountant General's office. No solutions have emerged from these discussions yet.

The country's president recently addressed a major teachers' union conference. He promised to fix what he called a crooked national pay policy. He also mentioned reviewing the pension system amid the payment crisis.

The coalition argues this failure to pay violates Ghana's constitution. They cite the right to equal pay for equal work. Another labor law says employers must pay agreed wages on time. The government itself is the employer in this case.