Teaching and Labor: Teacher Unionism in Ghana

This article examines the development of teacher unionism in Ghana. It pays attention to period from the early 1930s to the end of the first post-independent government under Nkrumah. It investigates the formation of teacher organisations, teacher organisations relations with the state, and the internal struggles among the teacher unions. It will be argued that the teacher unions remained confrontational towards the state, if the material conditions of teachers’ deteriorated amidst general labour and political discontent. Even so, if the state was able to mediate their economic needs and improve their work conditions, their agitations receded, even if there remained general labour discontent. However, the posturing of the state in resolving teacher grievances was in constant flux. While, the attitude of the colonial government in the 1940s in resolving teacher agitations remained conciliatory, the demeanour of the government during the period of the diarchy (1952-1957) was high-handed and authoritarian. The post-independent government (1957-1966) effectively co-opted the teacher union by interfering in its internal affairs even as it improved the wages and conditions of service of teachers. Amongst the teacher organisations, disagreements over whether teachers should form professional associations or trade unions and the disparity between mission and government teachers divided them.